Employability skills Essay Example

Employability skills Essay Employability skills are a range of skills that will allow a person to perform different jobs well. These are essential to be able to work effectively in a modern workplace. You can subdivide employability skills, I explain them below. Suitable qualifications. For different types of jobs there are different types of qualification required. Egg. Professional careers such as accountancy, human resources and marketing employers will often look for candidates with problem solving and critical skills who have at least A- level. To work at TNT as Junior Legal Counsel you need a completed education business economics and you need National and/or international law degree. Experience in similar job roles. If you have done a similar work in a organisation, it should indicate that you can do this again in a other organisation. When you are applying for a job, you should thing about what experience you already have and if some of those experiences also can be successful in the new role. If you already worked in the same industry, you should make this very clear in your CV and letter of application because such experience could be very valued for the prospective employer. Experience of specific industry. If you can show that you have worked in a specific industry before, you should demonstrate this when you are applying for a job. If you already have worked in the same industry, employers do not have to train you again. TNT would appreciate experience. We will write a custom essay sample on Employability skills specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Employability skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Employability skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This means that a person is able to handle the functions that are described in the advertisement. Knowledge of services and products. To improve your chances by obtaining for a job if you can demonstrate a sound understanding of the products or services the company provides, so product knowledge is essential, especially if you want to work in a customer service role. TNT provides services. TNT has a website with a lot of information about all their insurances and services they provide, so you can read about the product you sell. Effectiveness in meeting personal and teams or departments targets. Meeting targets is essential for every businesss success, and employees must be able to meets targets too. If there is worked for targets in your previous jobs too, you should be able to explain how successful you have been in your job-interview or letter of application. TNT asks for someone who is not going to be stressed out at the end of the deadline. Planning and making schedules are necessary. Ability to observe and raise professional standards of production or service delivery Employees who are able to work consistently with the standards of the organisation will be appreciated by the organisation, which aims are to improve the standards by suggesting and the implementation of better ways of doing the job are even more successful. Candidates who can describe or demonstrate how they have done this in previous posts will undoubtedly improve their chances of being employed. Its not very useful to immediately wanting to improve standards by suggesting and implementing thins at once. When you are new, you first need to observe the company. Personal skills Certain skills will be beneficial regardless of the job or career that you pursue and these transferable personal skills make a candidate attractive to a new employer. Hardworking and patient. Someone who gets a lot of work done is bound to be valued, if those workers spend much time with answering their mobile phones surfing the Internet during working hours will not make a good impression. So have a good handle against the distractions of modern life. Patience is also required in many jobs, especially if you are dealing with members of the public! Its not only TNT who needs people that are hardworking and patient. Every manager would like these skills. Its good for the organisation. Good interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills can enable us to get working along with other people, promoting good relationships at the workplace and enable us to do the work better or more efficiently. Some people are naturally good to get on with others and encourage colleagues, but it is possible to learn good interpersonal skills. If you think your skills in this area could be lacking it worth it will be active to them; these opportunities will make you more employable and will also allow you to do a better job. Some interpersonal skills are very simple, such as smiling. A cheerful smile can split up barriers and encourage someone to listen and speak to you, remind yourself to smile because it is a good is beginning for improving tour interpersonal skills! TNT asks for good communications skills, you need foot interpersonal skills for this. Able to work as part of a team. Interpersonal skills will be crucial to your ability to work effectively in a team of people, but a series of skills and other considerations are also important. By TNT youre going to work in a central team of 4 lawyers assisted, teamwork is really important. Negotiation. Another useful skill for a worker is the ability to negotiate effectively. Negotiating deals with a subject with a view to some agreement or a common ground. At the beginning of the negotiations concerned parties usually have very different opinions about what should be done so that the art of negotiation is to find common ground that both parties can agree on making it a win-win situation. Negotiation is the process of consent and may therefore be useful for resolving conflicts between members of staff, agreeing personal or departmental objectives, agreeing the financial resources and interviewing, especially for new employees. It may also be useful to personally negotiate salary increases and better working conditions. TNT dont need someone who can negotiate very well. Interview skills. Interviewing skills can be useful in some contexts. Being able to interview clients or customers actually encourages the sale or improving relationships with customers will be useful for many organizations. Moreover it will be a plus for the effective identification of the best candidates in the interviewing of potential new employees or dealing with situations for the assessment of the current members of the staff. TNT like to have them but for this advertisement its not necessary. Communication skills Formal and informal communication Formal communication includes board meetings, letters, formal reports and presentations. With formal communication you need to use specific formats and follow acceptable rules and conventions. Informal communication doesnt follow any prescribed conventions or formats and often happen spontaneously. Because TNT ask for a responsible attitude, you need to use clear communication to everybody so that everyone can understand what you are doing. Non-verbal/verbal communication methods Non-verbal communication involves written communication. Mostly common methods are letters, memos, reports, invoices, flow charts, publicity material, email, text messaging and web pages. Verbal communication involves those using the human voice such as presentations, interviews, meetings, telephone calls and video conferencing.

Music Drugs Essays

Music Drugs Essays Music Drugs Essay Music Drugs Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Music and Drugs Individuals take drugs based on various reasons. These reasons include psychiatric, spiritual and recreational uses. Foremost, the psychiatric use of drugs involves the use of specific medication in order to alleviate mental distress. Usually, patients attending psychotherapy receive prescription to partake psychiatric drugs as part of their therapeutic treatment. The spiritual use of drugs involves using psychoactive drugs in order to induce an alleviated state of which users regard as the manifestation of spiritual state. Recreational use, on the other hand, involves using psychoactive drugs for the purposes of experimentation and enjoyment. Various genres of music incorporate several features that induce a psychedelic state among individuals. Particularly, one feature that leads to such a state comprises the lyrics. Since a song comprises a series of notes that the listener desires to follow, the lyrics act as a major influence towards inducing a psychedelic state especially if they refer to specific psychoactive drugs. As such, by making specific references to psychoactive drugs as well as the pleasure they induce, persons become influenced to engage in taking hallucinogens in order to experience the pleasurable state the lyrics address. Personally, the main incentives leading to the experience of a change in time or space arose from the effects of drugs. At one point, listening to psychedelic music especially rock music from bands such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience propelled me to engage in one of the most common hallucinogens, LSD. Most of the lyrics in the band’s songs made a direct reference to drugs, which on the other hand, influenced me to consume LSD. The drug coupled with the musical effect induced a state of hallucinations depicted by vivid colors and patterns as well a sense of pleasure and excitement.

The essentials of international marketing in the context of a UK-based Essay

The essentials of international marketing in the context of a UK-based firm, Directa Ltd - Essay Example The paper tells that the world today has become a global village. Information exchange can occur within a matter of milliseconds over thousands of miles. Technology has revolutionized every field, from arts and education to organizational management. It has also opened up new vistas of business management that were not plausible a few decades ago. One of the most important revolutions of globalization has been global marketing. Internationalization and global marketing strategies has not only garnered the attention of large corporations but small and medium sized enterprises are also considering marketing across national borders. This tends to highlight the role globalization is playing in the contemporary business arena. In order to comprehend the processes underlying and factors influencing global marketing, one needs to gain an insight into the operational dynamics of marketing on an international level. Moreover, marketing across borders is not limited to the domain of multinatio nal organizations, as was conventional few years ago. Globalization has offered businesses opportunities to expand its consumer base and to profit from international demand. Directa (UK) Ltd is a UK-based organization and deals with the distribution of industrial products. The company is located in the city of Essex and has a workforce of more than 80 people. It was established in 1971 and four decades since its inception, the company has become one of the leading distributors of tapes, signs, abrasives and adhesives along with other industry-related good and products. The company offers products from a number of leading brands such as 3M, Duracell and Velcro and has also launched its own products such as Deemark, a safety marking product, and Sparks, a PVC tape. The company has an online ordering service whereby customers can select from a range of more than 10,000 products and pay via SAGE. Moreover, the company has a functional ordering service on the phone too. Directa does not disregard its responsibility towards the environment and believes in sustainable business production. The company links up with Green Recycling Ltd and approximately 98% of the waste product is recycled. The company works in alignment with the Waste Electrical of Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive whereby it encourages the recycling and reuse of electrical equipment. For instance, Directa has launched a take-back scheme which encompasses recycling of used up batteries which are to be disposed otherwise by the customer (Directa, 2012). Previously the company was only a catalogue-only supplier. However as the business grew, the pressure on margins also rose (Jadu, 2012). This, coupled with flat sales, led the business towards a revision of the business model it employed. The issues highlighted, after the company heads and managers came together to discuss the progress of the company, included usage of the resources below an optimum level, lack of proper leadership to guide the grow th initiative and the boasting of sales by competitors by using internet for marketing. The company responded to this by setting up an e-commerce website that allowed customers to do business with Directa online. The marketing manager at Directa, Ciaran Crowley, was in charge of this initiative (Jadu, 2012). He not only focused on the use of warehouses and other resources of the company to develop new products but also realized the potential of telesales. Subsequently, an official website of the company was launched after considering a range of business frameworks and analyzing the organizational structure. Furthermore, the company spent time and resources not only developing,

Medical Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Medical Ethics - Essay Example Forceful circumstances that can dictate the amputation of limbs include stopping the spread of a certain condition like malignant cancer to other parts of the body, serious diabetes or an extensively fractured/damaged leg. However, some people may demand such a medical operation despite their perfect state of health. An example is a person with a rational desire to have one of their perfectly healthy limbs amputated. In such a case, serious issues in the field of medical ethics have to be considered before the physicians can go ahead with the amputation or reject this request. The aim of this paper is to give an argument that physicians have a moral reason to permit the individual to go through with the amputation. The second part of the paper gives an objection to this argument followed by a justification of the stronger argument. Argument in support for the amputation as a moral duty One of the critical ethical issues to be considered in the case of such a request is patient autono my. First of all, it is very true to say that every person has the right to do whatever they want with their bodies. This is because the issue of personal autonomy has to be respected. In fact, it is one of the ethical principles in the medical field. Despite this, any request concerning medical procedures that comes directly from the patient has to indicate some rationality behind it. In this case, the patient has expressed a rational desire to have their perfectly healthy limb amputated. Despite being a rational desire, the request has higher chances of being granted if it expresses the person’s autonomy. In order to arrive at a good conclusion regarding this case, it is important to make a thorough examination of the concept of rational desires and how they relate to personal autonomy. Savulescu made a distinction between desires and rational desires. According to him, a rational desire is a desire that a person expresses while in possession of all relevant facts while "vi vidly imagining" what its consequences would be for them. At the time of its expression, the person should not commit any relevant error of logic as well (Savulescu a 121). Savulescu goes ahead to explain that a desire must be a rational desire or satisfy a person's rational desires for it to be treated as an expression of the person's autonomy. The principle of autonomy has a big role in the medical field hence it is a general requirement that physicians should respect the autonomous choices of their patients. According to Beauchamp and Childress (99), autonomy can be described as self-rule, that is, free from limitations such as limited understanding, that may prevent rational/meaningful choices, and controlling inferences from other persons. From this description, it is clear that autonomy is complete if the person is in a position to make meaningful or rational choices. These choices are later expressed as rational desires. In other words, the expression of rational desires is t he practice of personal autonomy. On the other hand, autonomy is the expression of such rational demands. This means the concepts of rational desires and autonomy are inseparable. Instead, they are an expression of each other. This means any decision made within the boundaries of informed consent is a guided by both a respect to the rational autonomy of a person and their rational desires. Going against this informed consent will therefore

Human Factors in Aviation Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Factors in Aviation Safety - Essay Example At the time, it received high-profile attention from the media, which covered the incident on live television (JetBlue plane, 2005; JetBlue passengers, 2005; JetBlue Airways, 2006). The purpose of this paper is to explore the human factor as it relates to this mishap. The pilot and crew are the first to become the focus of any airline mishap. Other human factors involve maintenance, traffic control and aircraft design. As noted by Wikipedia, "the ability of the flight crew to maintain situational awareness is a critical human factor in air safety" (Air Safety, 2006). A broad definition of situational awareness in flight is observing everything that happens in the immediate area and determining its importance in a complex environment. Initiation of a pilot checklist in 1937 and the relatively new concept of situational awareness have contributed to aircraft safety. Even so, pilot error is considered the most common factor of aviation crashes. Although it is often a factor in midair collisions, additional causes might be due to adverse weather conditions. Crew resource management (CRM) training is another recent effort to reduce pilot error. Terrorism has been added to the human factor list following 9/11/1001, which involved four different commerc ial aircraft (Air Safety, 2006). In the case of the 2005 JetBlue mishap, ... In fact, Robert Boser, editor of Aviation Safety.com, commended the pilot, Captain Scott Burke, who managed to stop the plane in the middle of the 12,000-foot runway at LAX without having the nose break off. The only damage to the plane was in the front wheel area and no one was injured. Because of sparks and smoke, Burke asked if there was any fire visible, but did not receive an answer from the tower. He therefore used air stairs to disembark the passengers for safety reasons (Boser, 2005). This was his response to an emergency in progress, but was there some way he could have known the problem existed before takeoff What Were the Contributing Factors What were the human factors involved in this incident and how well was the emergency handled In addition, why did it happen at all In the case of pilot error, possible factors that could be involved are alcohol use, nicotine addiction withdrawal, error in copying air traffic control clearances, or mental illness. In the JetBlue incident, the pilot and crew were exonerated of any blame and in fact were lauded. Other factors include oversights in aircraft maintenance, mistakes in air traffic control, or weaknesses in aircraft or equipment design. One question in the relatively short history of JetBlue Airlines is whether such a problem has occurred before. And if it has, what was the cause and what human factors were involved JetBlue has only been in business for six years and offers low fares and extra incentives such as live television, leather seats and wireless Internet, which are not available on other popular low-cost airlines such as Southwest. Because of the passengers' ability to watch CNN on the airline's DirectTV hook up, however, with televisions at every seat, they were able to follow the

Cultural Traits Of The Ancient Greeks English Literature Essay

Cultural Traits Of The Ancient Greeks English Literature Essay Cultural traits can be identified as attributes of a specific civilization in relation to their geography and time period that the civilization existed. The ancient Greek civilization is one of several that we have studied whos cultural traits can be identified as Greek and some that were partly adopted. Many of these cultural traits are evident in works of art that survived the collapse of the Greek civilization. Like many other ancient civilizations, their cultural traits can be identified through literary works. Cultural traits from the ancient Greeks can be found today in our current society. In the next three paragraphs I will discuss some of the ancient Greek cultural traits, how they are displayed in their literature and how some of these are still evident in present day society. The ancient Greek civilization, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting civilizations in history. It was during this time period that we take notice of new and important ways of thinking displayed by an ancient culture, in this case, the Greeks. The ancient Greeks were the first civilization to start stressing the importance of intelligence and having a natural understanding of the world around them. This particular trait is due mostly in part to the Sophists, more commonly known as the professors of the ancient world. The Sophists greatly encouraged being intelligent and asking questions in search of the truth. They believed the truth was relative to each individual situation and that there are no single truths. This trait is an important change that was beneficial for all societies preceding the Greeks even though it created trouble for them during this time period. As the common folk began to ask questions and improve their intelligence, the political organizations and the G reek government had their hands full trying to keep the masses at bay. This trait would eventually contribute to the fall of the ancient Greek empire. The Greeks were a very anthropocentric culture believing man was the center of everything. They demonstrate this through their religion, which was partly adopted by the earlier Mycenaeans, and the gods they believed in. Even though they worshipped the gods, to them they were only referees and man was essentially the master of his own destiny. The society was dominated by the male gender by not lending any power and very little rights to the women. However, this is not unusual among ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks also valued morals and tried to keep them at a high standard. This trait was also very important to the advancement of this and later societies by trying to maintain ones family and hold it together using good morals. Two literary works that demonstrate the ancient Greeks cultural traits are Sophocles Oedipus the King and Aristophanes Lysistrata. Sophocles makes this evident at the very beginning of Oedipus the King when Oedipus talks to the commoners who are kneeling at an altar praying. He asks them why they dont come and voice their concerns to him instead of the Gods. Oedipus believes he could do more than the Gods to help them and the city of Thebes. This is exemplary of the ancient Greek anthropocentric view. The importance of holding a family together is also demonstrated by Oedipus. When he receives the prophecy stating he would kill his father and marry his mother, he leaves the city of Corinth. It would be morally wrong for this prophecy to come true and that is why Oedipus disappears to Thebes. Going against wise council from Jocasta, Oedipus goes in search for the truth and discovers that in doing so he had fulfilled his prophecy and had ashamed his family. This embarrassment leads to the suicide of Jocasta and the blindness of Oedipus who at this point has completely self-destructed. In this story, Sophocles is saying, stay morally true to your family or lose everything you once loved. Accepting wise council from the ones closest to you displays much intelligence. Aristophanes displays these same traits in Lysistrata. In this story, Lysistrata demonstrates a keen intellect by devising the plan that eventually brings peace to Greece. This takes great insight into what is actually causing the problem and coming up with a clever solution. Aristophanes also demonstrates how the Greeks were a very patriarchal society. He does this when the women in the story talk about their normal duties around the home and in society, which wasnt much more than household slaves. Lysistrata also makes an example of how good morals keep a family together. Aristophanes does so when the women talk about how they never see their husbands and it makes them sad. Lysistrata and the other G reek woman make it known to the men how important the family is by taking away what they enjoy the most, in this case its sex. These same traits are the foundation of todays society. Thats the only reason Im taking this class. It is important to get an education. It increases my ability to make good decisions in life and find a good job. This will in turn make my life easier and give me the ability to spend more time doing the things that I love. Finding a mate in this world can be tough. Intelligence just happens to be one of the two most sought after qualities by a woman. To me, this is just a few of the many examples of how intelligence plays a role in everything that I do. Morals are also essential to have in todays society. That point has been stressed to me since the very beginning of my life. Without morals it would be very hard to make friends or keep a good reputation among co-workers at just about any job one could think of. It seems that good morals have been on decline in recent years. As the divorce rate increases it seems that the crime rate has increased at almost the same pace. Research has s hown that 90% of divorces are caused by finances. This could all be alleviated by getting an education to help make ones income more stable. Society has in my opinion made leaps and bounds in the treatment of women. Womens rights have come a long way in the last 50 years by gaining higher average wages and the right to vote. Most dont realize that women, logistically, were the reason America played a major role in ending World War II. I dont think that todays society has the same anthropocentric view of the world that ancient Greeks did. However, I do believe that a certain amount of anthropocentrism is inherent in human nature. Even with religion playing a major role in todays society, I still observe men and women walking around believing that they ultimately have the final say on what happens in their environment. This doesnt mean people believe they are the center of the universe. It just means that we help ourselves before we help our environment. This in turn may eventually lead to the demise of the human race because we need our environment to survive In conclusion, I have identified several traits that were possessed by the ancient Greek culture and how these traits were evident in their literary works. It is important to understand how ancient civilizations worked so that we can learn from their mistakes. This will help people in todays society progress as a whole. If we hadnt learned from our past, we wouldnt have but a small portion of the technology and artistic culture that we have today. I think that people as a whole really want the best for other people. By understanding other cultures, ancient or present, we can better understand who we are and where we are headed.

American Slavery :: Slavery Essays

  The purpose of this report was for me to research and explore the connection between African American women and music.  Ã‚  Since prior to the slave decades, music has been an integral part of African American society, and served as a form of social, economic, and emotional support in African American communities in the past and present.  Ã‚  This paper will cover three different types of secular music that emerged during the slave days, through the civil war, reconstruction, and depression periods.  Ã‚  They are blues, jazz, and gospel music.  Ã‚  Each of these forms of music are still in existence today.  Ã‚  In addition to exploring the history of each of these genres of music, this report will identify three African American female music legends, Bessie Smith, Emma Barrett, and Mahalia Jackson. Blues emerged in the period between the end of the civil war, and the beginning of the 20th century.  Ã‚  Originating in the fields of the rural south, it became popular after the emancipation of the slaves.  Ã‚  In this form of music, the singer and composer is one in the same, a characteristic not evident in the spiritual songs of the slave communities.  Ã‚  Spirituals were somewhat of a passage way for blues.  Ã‚  Blues followed blacks to urban societies as spirituals followed the slaves onto the plantations.  Ã‚  The differences between these types of music were that spirituals were collective, whereas an individual sang blues.  Ã‚  Blues attributed to the evolution of black society toward individualism after the collective society of slavery.  Ã‚  Blues became know as the music of the black working class.  Ã‚  It was a way for African Americans to express the modern problems of economics, social errors, and poverty and power struggles they faced after they became free.  Ã‚  African Americans were still living in unjust societies, where jobs were hard to find.  Ã‚  They began to migrate north, but the case remained the same.  Ã‚  They used music for economic gain in nightclubs, corner halls, publishing, and recording.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the greatest African American female blues singers was Bessie Smith.  Ã‚  She was born on April 15, 1894 or 1898.  Ã‚  The exact date is unknown.  Ã‚  Her father William was a preacher, who died when Bessie was very young.  Ã‚  This left her mother to raise seven children on her own.  Ã‚  When Bessie was nine years old, her mother Laura had passed away, and two of her brothers had died as well.  Ã‚  The oldest sister brought up the five remaining brothers and sisters.  Ã‚  Prior to the death of Bessie’s mother, she was singing on a street corner to the accompaniment of her brother’s guitar.

PESTEL Viet Nam Analysis Essay

A. Introduction of Viet Nam Vietnam is approximately 331688 km2 in area and occupied the eastern coast of the Southeast Asian peninsula. The northern part of the country part consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta. The south is divided into coastal lowlands and extensive forests. Because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season (November to April), the monsoon wind blowing from the northwest brings considerably moisture. Consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry. Major Vietnamese cities include Hanoi in the north, Da Nang in the mid coastal region, and Ho Chi Minh City (formally known as Saigon) to the south. Vietnam has considerable energy resources such as oil, gas and coal and its 41,000 km long waterways provide the basis for hydropower. The country is rich in minerals such as bauxite, iron ore, lead, gold, precious stones, tin, chromate, anthra cite, granite, marble, clay, white sand and graphite. In addition, Vietnam has a considerable fresh and saltwater fauna, dense tropical forestry resources and it possesses great agricultural potential. The history of Vietnam, reference to the Geneva Accord signed in 1954. The accord ended French colonial rule, and the country was partitioned into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh and the Republic of Vietnam in the South. The capitals were Hanoi for the North and Saigon for the South. Fights led by Ho Chi Minh to unite the country started in 1959 and lasted until 1975. Hanoi became the capital of the country whilst Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Following reunification, the Vietnamese government’s initial plan was to manage the economy via methods of central planning. Based on experiences gained during the 1976-1980 five years plan, subsequent central plans introduced more relaxed policies with respect to agricultural collectives, State Owned Enterprises and allowed more scope for private initiatives. These measures were instrumental in elevating poverty.  Growth rates during the early 80’s were higher than during the 1976-1980 five year pl an, however it became evident that further policy shift were necessary to enable the Vietnam economy to perform closer to its potential. Economic reform was the key point of discussion at the Sixth National Party Congress held in December 1986. The process then initiated of moving from a centrally planned economy to an open, socialist-oriented and multi-sector market economy known as Doi Moi (renovation). In 1992, the National Assembly revised the post-unification constitution to better reflect the aspirations articulated in the Doi Moi process. Economic performance since 1986 has justified the policy of relaxation of central control, the challenge faced by Vietnam has been the maintenance of rapid economic growth and integration into the global economy. B. â€Å"P.E.S.T.L.E† REPORT ON VIET NAM 1. Politics The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. Its current state constitution, which replaced the 1975 constitution in April 1992, asserts the central role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in all organs of government, politics and society. In 2011, Viet Nam held the 11th Congress of Vietnam Communist Party, in which happened the Election of the Party Central Committee for the new term. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong was elected to be the General Secretary. After the Congress, there happened the fist Congress of the Parliament, term 13th, in which Mr. Nguyen Sinh Hung was elected to be the President of the Parliament, Mr. Truong Tan Sang the President of the Country, and Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung was elected to continue the position of Prime Minister. This Congress also issued 4 degrees: first, approving the State Budget, second, agreeing on the program of building laws and ordinances in2012, third, beginning the study of the amendments and supplements of the 1992 Constitution and establ ishing the revised draft of the 1992 Constitution, and finally, the degree on the issuance of certain additional tax measures to remove difficulties for enterprises and individuals, contributing to economic development in 2011. In 2011, the disputes over the East Sea was the main cause of some changes in relations between Vietnam and some important countries in the world, especially the  Vietnam – China and Viet Nam – U.S. Tension in the East Sea has escalated due to China’s provocative acts in May, 2011. Then happened many anti-Chinese protests in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city. In this context, the relation between Viet Nam and the U.S was proclaimed to be elevated to strategic partnership.4 And late 2011, the tensions in the Vietnam-China relations down to the visit by the senior officials of the two countries. In terms of politically domestic policy, the government kept a political stability, and showed some positive signs. For example, the freedom of the press seemed to be extended. In addition, the government was also more aware of its limitations and of the policy mistakes. Concretely, at the Fourth Conference of the Party Central Committee (XI), Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong said: ―Besides the achievements, the Party building work still has many limitations and shortcomings, weaknesses, even spanning multiple defects; these limitations would reduce people’s trust in the Party; if not corrected, they will be the challenge for leadership of the Party and the survival of the regime. 2. Economy The year of 2011 was important for the economy of Viet Nam because this is the first year in the latest Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2011-2020), with the goal of becoming an industrialized and modern economy by 2020. This strategy goes on to identify the country’s key priorities to meet this ambitious target: stabilize the economy, build world-class infrastructure, create a skilled labor force, and strengthen market-based institutions. According to Vietnam Development Report (VDR) 2012, meeting these aspirations will not be easy. In fact, the country has experienced bouts of macroeconomic turbulence in recent years—double-digit inflation, depreciating currency, capital flight, and loss of international reserves—eroding investor confidence. Besides, rapid growth has revealed new structural problems. The quality and sustainability of growth remain a source of concern, given the resource-intensive pattern of growth, high levels of environmental degradation, lack of diversification and value addition in exports, and the declining contribution of productivity to growth. Vietnam’s competitiveness is under threat because the power  generation has not kept pace with demand, logistical costs and real estate prices have climbed, and skill shortages are becoming more widespread. And these difficulties strongly existed in 2011. Concretely, the inflation in 2011 was 18.13%; the growth of GDP has slowed (5,89%). Domestic and international gold price gap increased. The Corruption index 2011 from Transparency International ranked Viet Nam at the position 112. This shows that Viet Nam has been faced one of the most difficult challenges of economic development. In terms of financial, according to the document of World Bank, in 2011, foreign direct investment inflows (to Viet Nam) continued at a steady pace, although new commitments declined. International reserves increased in the first half of the year while the Vietnamese dong benefitted from a period of relative calm. In the last quarter of the year, however, exchange rate fluctuations increased due to volatility in gold prices, deepening uncertainties and the seasonal increase in demand for foreign currency as the year end approaches. With approximate 9 billion U.S. dollars, the amount of money coming from overseas Vietnamese was one of the biggest sources of foreign currency in 2011. This amount is equivalent to the amount of FDI. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japanese are the countries that contributed the biggest investment to Viet Nam in 2011. Hai Duong, Ho Chi Minh city, and Ha Noi are three places that has been most invested in recent time. The sectors that most attract the attention of foreign investors are processing industry, electricity supply, and accommodation and dining service. However, according to the analysis of a chief economist, Dr. Allan Pham, though facing the difficulties as mentioned above, the economy is coming to a better prospect in 2012, especially with a certain success in the fight against inflation of the country (the inflation has been trending down since the 4th quarter of 2011). Following is the figure of the selected macro indicators of the economy in recent years: Key Indicators 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 GDP growth (%) 8.5 6.2 5.3 6.78 5.8 6.0 CPI (%) 12.6 23 6.52 11.75 18.0 12-14 Trade deficit (USD) 12.5 17.8 12.2 12.4 12.1 13.3 Exports (USD) 48.4 62.5 56.6 71.6 80.2 86.5 Imports (USD) 60.8 80.3 68.8 84.0 92.4 99.8 FDI commitments (USD) 21.3 66.5 21.5 18.6 15.0 18.0 FDI disbursement (USD) 8.0 11.5 10.0 11.0 12.0 12.5 Credit growth (%) 54 21 37.7 27.6 15 18 SBV Base rate 8.2 8.5 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 Deposit rate (%) 7.0-8.0 7.0-8.5 9.5-10.5 10.0- 11.0 14 12.0 Lending rate (%) 10.0-12.0 10-12.5 10.5-12 13.0-13.5 18-20 14-16 USD/VND (bank rate) 16,016 17,468 18,600 19,500 21,500 22,500 Foreign Affairs At present, Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 168 countries, and it has economic and trading relations with about 165 countries. Vietnam joined the United Nations in 1977. Vietnam became an official member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995, and has concluded a cooperation agreement with the European Community. Relationships with multi-national financial institutions such as the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been re-established. Viet Nam has been participating in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (â€Å"AFTA†) since 1996 and became a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in 1998. Vietnam became an official member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 January 2007. In January 2008, the country started a two year term as an elected non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Vietnam signed the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United Sta tes in 2000. Besides aspects of international trade, the BTA covers a variety of other areas, including intellectual property rights, trade in services, development of investment relations, business  facilitation and the obligation to ensure transparency of laws and regulations. The BTA essentially constitutes a commitment by both countries to open their markets to each other. Intellectual Property In recent years, the Government has taken various measures to increase the legal protection of intellectual property and has created an environment of respect for intellectual property as compared to other neighboring countries. Intellectual property rights are protected by the Civil Code (1995 and 2005), the Law on Intellectual Property (2005) and a host of subordinate legislation. Vietnam is a long-time signatory to the Paris Convention, the Madrid Agreement on International Trademark Registration, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (â€Å"PCT†) and became a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 1976. On 27 June 1997, Vietnam entered into an Agreement on copyrights with the US. According to the Viet Nam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, Vietnam is under the obligation to adhere to the Berne Convention. The National Office of Intellectual Property (â€Å"NOIP†) is the authority responsible for the registration of industrial property and for the resolutio n of disputes with regard to industrial property in the first instance. Foreign organizations and individuals seeking to register their industrial ownership should file their applications through an authorized agent, who will transfer their application to the NOIP. The Office of Copyright Protection under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has also been established and is responsible for the protection of copyright. Works may be registered with the Office of Copyright Protection; however, registration is not a prerequisite for copyright protection. Currently, patents are protected for a period of 20 years. A certificate of utility solutions may be granted for 10 years. A certificate of industrial design is granted for 5 years and may be renewed every 5 years. However, the total effective period of a certificate cannot exceed 15 years. Certificates of trademarks are granted for 10 years with no restrictions on the number of renewals. Investment Guarantees The Government of Vietnam guarantees fair treatment for investors. Capital and other legal assets of investors will not be expropriated or confiscated by law or administrative measures and businesses with foreign-invested  capital will not be nationalized. Foreign investors are allowed to remit abroad investment capital and profits, loan principal and interest, and other legal proceeds and assets. Expatriates working for businesses with foreign-invested capital or for a business cooperation contract are permitted to remit their income abroad. The Vietnam government respects intellectual and industrial property rights and the interests of foreign investors relating to technology transfers into Vietnam. Economic Risks Global Finance Crisis is the hottest issues that people discuss most in this few years. The global financial crisis that started from the United States raises a very broad impact to Vietnam. Inflation Inflation has been in double digits since 2007 and peaking at 28% in August 2008. The fiscal deficit accounted for 4.5-5% GDP in 2008 while trade deficit reached US$17.5 billion (or over 20% of GDP), a level that signals vulnerability to a sudden drop in external demand (Figure 2). A high rate of investment combined with a sizeable fiscal deficit resulted in rapid growth in aggregate demand in the first half of 2008. Massive capital inflows generated asset price inflation, especially in real estate and land prices. Export Decline Vietnamese exports have suffered the strongest negative impact. With economic problems in the US, EU and Japan, which together account for more than 60% of Vietnamese exports, Vietnam saw a significant decline in export revenues. Vietnam’s export revenues fell 6.5% in November 2008 and a further 24% drop in January 2009 (year-on-year) (Figure 3). Orders for manufactured exports including garments, footwear and furniture dropped quickly, while seafood5 producers are also under pressure. The decline of orders has caused great difficulties for exporting companies, many of them are at risk of closing down.6 Vietnamese exports’ growth is forecasted to decline from 30% in 2008 to 13% in 2009. Unemployment Unemployment has worsened. At February 28, 2009, 66,700 workers (out of 45 million workers) lost their jobs in 2008 with national unemployment rate of 4.65%. Thus, it is estimated that over 80,000 workers lost their jobs  nationwide in 2008. The latest forecast of Vietnam Labor and Employment Agency estimates the figure to hit 400,000 nationwide in 2009. Job cuts are rising especially in big cities11 with industrial, processing and exporting zones. The situation may worsen in 2009 with an unemployment rate of 5% and at a projected economic growth of 6.5%. High unemployment has already affected domestic demand and consumers’ sentiment in Vietnam, which are bearish in recent months. 3. Socio-Culture 3.1 Education Viet Nam’s population enjoys a relatively high standard of education. In fact, Confucian ethics has strongly influenced upon Vietnamese’s viewpoint of social values, and education has always been considered as one of the best values that a person should desire to achieve. Nowadays, education has been still considered as one of the most important issues that the country has to pay great attention. Recently, at the 11th Party Congress, the government is determined to develop a national education policy as one of the priorities of the country. As a result, the country has gained big success in education. Concretely, according to the 2009 Census results, there are only nearly four million people who have never attended school (5.0% of the total population aged 5 years and over) and as compared with the 1999 Census this number has decreased 5% (6.9 million people, account for 10.0% of population aged 5 and over). This shows the significant progress of Vietnam’s educat ion sector in minimizing the number of people who never go to school. The official figures also point out that the literacy rate for the population aged 15 years and over increased by 3.7% (from 90.3% in 1999 to 94.0% in 2009). The female literacy rate increased 4.9%, while the male literacy rate increased 2.2%, significantly narrowing the literacy rate gap between men and women. Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City are three provinces having the highest literacy rate (97.9%) while Lai Chau has the lowest (59.4%). This data shows that the literacy rate was not only increased quite rapidly but also express successes of Vietnam’s gender equality work in the education sector.13 Certainly, besides such successes, Vietnamese education system also has faced many challenges,  including poor infrastructure, lack of equipment and teaching materials, low wages precipitating an acute shortage of skilled teachers and academic staff, a relatively poor linkage of higher education with research, production and employment, and some contradictions of the system. As the analysis of RFA, the situation of education in Viet Nam in 2011 had some notable points as following: There were three positive points of the education in Vietnam in 2011. The first point is the plan of â€Å"reducing the load of textbooks† from primary to secondary school of the Ministry of Education and Training. The second is the plan of achieving universal preschool education for children of 5 years old. In this plan, the Ministry of Education will build public kindergartens for children at age 5 in the mountainous areas; and the poor students will be exempt from tuition fees, with the plan of over 95% of children enroll in 2 sessions / day by 2015. And the third is the policy of training and vocational training in poor areas such as the Highlands. On the contrary, there were also many crucially negative points of the education in 2011. First of all, there was the imbalance in enrollment in universities and colleges between students with practical needs. The sectors of social sciences, agriculture, forestry and fishery were registered by only 2.5% of exam registration reco rds (while Vietnam has up to 70% of the population are farmers). And the sectors in demand such as business, tourism †¦ had to be encountered the difference between training and recruitment practices; and this leads to the fact that graduates get difficulty to find job. Secondly, teacher’s salary does not meet their living when inflation is high; and this leads to some problems: the teachers could not focus on their business as they had to find extra jobs, or to open extra classes. Thirdly, there has existed the problem of the degradation in social ethics of many students, due to lack of paying attention on humanity teaching, which can be proved by many cases of students committed violent guilty or crime. 3.2 Human Resource The national average population in 2011 estimated 87.84 million, up by 1.04% compared to 2010, including male population 43.47 million, (49.5%), and female population 44.37 million, (50.5%). Urban population is 26.88 million,  (30.6%); rural population is 60.96 million (69.4 %). According to the official report, the population structure by age in Vietnam is in a positive change. The population in the working age is 46,48 million, increased 0,12% compared to 2010. The proportion of workers in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries declined from 48.7% in 2010 to 48.0% in 2011; in industry and construction rose from 21.7% to 22.4%; and in the services maintained at 29.6%. The unemployment rate in the working age was 2.27% in 2011, of which the urban areas account for 3.6%, the rural areas 1.71%. This is the period of the country with advantages in labor force, also known as the â€Å"demographic window period†, which began in 2003 and may last from 30 to 50 years. This is cons idered as a big advantage for the industrialization and modernization of the country, if it takes advantage of the superiority Vietnamese on the labor force. 3.3 Traffic: Conditions And Problems Highway system The road system consists of over 200,000 km network including over 10,000 bridges. However road conditions are not ideal, less than half of the national highways have two lanes or more. In addition, road congestion is increasing in major cities. In recent years, the Government has mobilized a significantly large amount of capital to upgrade the highway system with financial support from international lending agencies. Railway The rail network consists of about 2,600 km of single–track line covering several routes. There are about 260 stations in the network. The longest and most important route is the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line, which stretches for 1,730 km. This line is now serviced by an express train, which makes the journey in approximately 29.5 hours. The lines connecting Vietnam to China were re-opened a few years ago. Inland Waterways Often overlooked by foreign investors, the inland waterway system offers a cheap and flexible mode of transport. Vietnam has more than 2,300 rivers and canals with total length of 198.000 km. Currently, the inland waterway has a system of over 61,000 km. The two major inland waterway systems serve as major transportation outlets. The first major inland waterway system is in  the Red River area in the north which stretches for approximately 2,500 km. Along this system there are five main ports, of which Hanoi is the largest. The second major inland waterway extends 4,500 km along the Mekong River and its tributaries in the South and boasts about 30 ports, including Ho Chi Minh City. The larger river vessels are tug-drawn barges. Official estimates put the fleet capacity at about 420,000 tons with speeds ranging from 2 to over 20 km an hour. Smaller, wooden barges are mostly privately owned. Ports Vietnam has eleven major seaports. Ho Chi Minh City serves most of the South and now boasts modern container loading facilities. Just a few hours’ drive from Hanoi, Hai Phong serves much of the North. Given the rapid rise in trade volume, increasing port capacity is a national priority. Airports and Civil Aviation There are three international airports: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Currently, the Government has significantly upgraded international airports to handle the increase in the volume of traffic associated with Vietnam’s invigorated economy. A new international terminal of the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, capable of handling up to 10 million passengers a year was opened in December 2007. Noi Bai airport in Hanoi was upgraded, enlarged and completed for operation in 2002, construction of a second terminal is expected to start in October 2008 and completed in two years. Four new international airports are planned to be constructed in Phu Quoc, Dong Nai, Lao Cai and Quang Ninh provinces. Preparations for the new Long Thanh International Airport, 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City in Dong Nai province is underway. The airport is scheduled to open in 2010 and by 2015 it will be further expanded to reach an annual transportation capacity of 80 to 100 million pass engers, becoming one of the biggest airports in the region. In addition, there are 16 other domestic airports around the country. Culture and Social Vietnam is a country located in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a culturally rich country whose distinct history played a role in the development of the modern day state. Vietnamese practices of Confucianism and showing reverence towards ancestors are evidence of China’s historical influence on Vietnamese  society. Vietnam became an independent state in the tenth century but was colonized by the French in the mid 1800s. Vietnam gained independence in the mid twentieth century but still retains traces of French culture which are visible in the way people communicate verbally and nonverbally. Though Vietnam has struggled over the past century through colonial rule, the Vietnam War and recent economic upheavals, it is now rebuilding itself to be able to compete on a global scale. Having a comprehensive understanding of Vietnam’s unique cultural values and traditions can allow the company to develop strong and successful business relationships with Vietnamese counterparts. Language Vietnamese is the official language, although there are distinct northern, central and southern dialects and accents. It is a tonal language, with each syllable; there are six different tones that can be used, which change the definition and it often makes it difficult for foreigners to pick up the language. There are other languages spoken as well such as Chinese, Khmer, Cham and other languages spoken by tribes inhabiting the mountainous regions. Although there are some similarities to Southeast Asian languages, such as Chinese, Vietnamese is thought to be a separate language group, although a member of the Austro-Asiatic language family. In written form, Vietnamese uses the Roman alphabet and accent marks to show tones. This system of writing called â€Å"quoc ngu†, was created by Catholic missionaries in the 17th century to translate the scriptures. Eventually this system, particularly after World War I, replaced one using Chinese characters (chu nom), which had been the u nofficial written form used for centuries. Non-verbal communication For certain feelings, Vietnamese people favor non-verbal communication. Vietnamese do not express feeling of thankfulness of apology in verbal communication, but non-verbal through silence or a smile. The proper respectful behavior is to avoid eye contact when talking to person who is not equal status or of the same gender. The smile is another non-verbal symbol conveying the feeling of respect in Vietnamese culture. It is used as an expression of apology, or as expression of embarrassment. For the Vietnamese a smile is a proper response in most situation in which verbal expression is not necessary, or appropriate. Confucianism The teachings of Confucius influence the Vietnamese describe the position of the individual in Vietnamese society. Confucian teachings emphasize the importance of relationships, responsibility and obligation. This philosophy is still a vital component of Vietnamese society and is prevalent in Vietnamese business culture in conserving the harmony of the collective good. The basic tenets are based upon five different relationships: Ruler and subject Husband and wife Parents and children Brothers and sisters Friends Hierarchy As like other group-oriented societies, Vietnam hierarchical structures are very much based upon age and status. This derives from Confucianism, which emphasizes social order. Everyone is seen as having a distinct place and role within the hierarchical structure, be it the family or workplace. An obvious example is seen in social situations where the oldest person in a group is greeted or served first. Within the family the head would be responsible for making decisions and approving marriages. Therefore companies that want to invest in Vietnam are made sense to give more authority to local managers to control the subordinates. The organization structure can be designed as hierarchical, with power derived from prestige, force, and inheritance. Collectivism Vietnam is a collectivist society in which the needs of the group are often placed over the individual. Family and community concerns will almost always come before business or individual needs. Family in particular plays an important role in Vietnamese society. You will notice that close ties between extended families and communities can have a major influence on individual behavior and oftentimes there are multiple generations living under one roof. For this reason, the company of the investor can pay more attention to their employees’ family members for example provide free medical treatment, childcare leave, family trips, etc. This can increase the employees’ loyalty to the company. Besides, in order to increase efficiency of Vietnamese employees, the company should assign tasks to them by group rather than individual. Religion Religion in Vietnam is closely related to the history of Vietnam and most importantly the culture of Vietnam. The earliest established religions in Vietnam were Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism (called the ‘triple religion’). These religions have been co-existing in the country for centuries and mixed well with the Vietnamese tradition of ancestor worship. This special mix explains why the Vietnamese people find it hard to say exactly which religion the belong to. They usually classify themselves as non-religious, despite visiting religious temples several times every year. At the year 2006, the major religious affiliations amongst Vietnam born people were Buddhism (58.6%), Catholics (22.1%), other (4.6%), and no religion (11.03%). From the data, we were found that Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism have greatly affected the Vietnamese’s behavior. The foreign investors should take note there are quite a large number of vegetarian in Vietnam, because of th e Buddhism religion. Food of Vietnamese Food is a very important part of Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese not only enjoy eating but believe eating good food can bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships. The types of foods are chosen to bring luck and these vary from province to province. Buying daily for fresh food is essential for all Vietnamese cooking. In general, Vietnamese people are not as concerned about nutrition as Westerner. They are more concerned with the quality of the foods. Concepts of Time Like most Asians, the Vietnamese have a more extended concept of time than that of most Americans. The agrarian nature of their traditional society focuses on seasons rather than days or weeks. And this tradition is reinforced by the Confucian tradition of respect for earlier generations. Americans measure time by the clock, Vietnamese by the monsoon. Although this is changing somewhat, Vietnamese can still be expected to take a longer view of time and be suspicious of the need for urgency in making decisions  or culminating a business deal. Patience remains the ultimate Confucian virtue in personal life as well as in business. Personal Relationships In Vietnam, propriety and courtesy play a major role in personal relationships. Vietnamese are generally more interpersonally formal than are Americans. This formality decreases the uncertainty surrounding interpersonal contacts in Vietnamese society and is carried over into the business realm for the same reasons. During initial meetings with Vietnamese officials, you can expect little real business to be accomplished. The Vietnamese will concentrate on getting to know you–your background, your expertise, your character. In their high-context communication culture, they will depend heavily on non-verbal clues to assess meaning. By becoming acquainted and establishing a personal relationship with you, they are merely trying to understand you better. Vietnamese society is comprised of an interconnected network of personal relationships, all of which carry obligations on both sides. These mutual obligations are the underpinnings of social order in Vietnam, so they are taken very seriously. Americans need to understand and be sensitive to the serious nature of what may seem to them to be casual business relations. Failure to do so could easily result in a loss of trust or credibility, with obvious implications for longer-term relationships. 4. Technology In terms of technology, Viet Nam is a rapidly developing country. The year 2011 was the beginning of the strategic plan of economic and social development, period 2011-2020, in which infrastructural building is considered as one of main targets. With this plan, the country has been building many expressways and will let the local transport network be eventually upgraded to meet the requirements of rural industrialization and modernization, and connect itself with the national system. In addition, the above plan also includes a project which will work to narrow its scientific and technological gap with the world in some key fields by 2020. To launch this project, the Government will give top priority to enhancing the competence of scientists and related managers while encouraging the organization of training courses partnered with foreign competent partners. According to the project, the Government will focus on scientific and technological renovation to sharpen the competitive edge of local products and assisting businesses to purchase patents in some prioritized areas: biotechnology, information technology, new materials technology – Nano technology , manufacturing technology and automation. 5. Legislation The communist party-controlled government of Vietnam has ruled under four state constitutions. The first was promulgated in 1946, the second in 1959, the third in 1980, and the current in 1992 (amended in 2001). Significantly, each bore the mark of its time. On paper, all these constitutions seem to establish a solid democracy. In fact, the purpose of the 1946 constitution was essentially to provide the communist regime with freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. The second constitution was explicitly communist in character. Its preamble described the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as a â€Å"people’s democratic state led by the working class,† and the document provided for a nominal separation of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The 1980 Constitution concentrates power in a newly established Council of State much like the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, endowing it nominally with both legislative and executive powers. Many functions of the legislature remain the same as under the 1959 document, but others have been transferred to the executive branch or assigned to both branches concurrently. The executive branch appears strengthened overall, having gained a second major executive body, the Council of State, and the importance of the National Assembly appears to have been reduced accordingly. The role of the Council of Ministers, while appearing on paper to have been subordinated to the new Council of State, in practice retained its former primacy. Having inherited the previous constitutions with substantial and basic changes, on the one hand, the 1992 Constitution continues reaffirming the basic principles in the constitutional history of Vietnam. First, it reiterates the target of socialist construction in Vietnam and the popular nature of the State. Second, the 1992 Constitution continues affirming the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership over the State and the society.  Third, it continues affirming the mechanism of State powers performed by the people through the National Assembly and the People’s Councils, the organization and operation of the State under the principle of concentrated powers; the concentration of State powers uniformly into the National Assembly with the division of responsibility among State bodies for the exercise of the legislative power, executive power and judicial power. On the other hand, the 1992 Constitution sees big changes: Vietnam decided to take economic renewal as the cent ral task, First, building the multi-sector and multi-ownership market economy along the socialist orientation. open-door policy and international economic integration. In reality, however, final authority on all matters rested with the Political Bureau; especially, the guarantees provided by the constitutions for freedom of speech, the press, and assembly has been never intended to be carried out. The constitutions eventually show its limitations since Vietnam has joined the stream of globalization, especially in the field of human rights and land-ownership law. In a report made public at the Conference on the Rule of law for human rights in the ASEAN region held by the Human Rights Resource Centre for ASEAN (HRRCA) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 30 April 2011, Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of Que Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam and the Vietnam Committee for Human Rights called on Vietnam to urgently reform its legal system and bring domestic legislation into line with international human rights laws. Mr. Vo Van Ai declared: ―36 years after the end of the Vietnam War, the rule of law exists only in theory in Vietnam. The government has incorporated human rights into its 1992 Constitution. Yet it has also adopted a whole arsenal of Laws, Decrees, Ordinances and Decisions which restrict or even nullify the exercise of these rights, in total violation of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam adhered in 1982â€â€". At the beginning of the New Year 2012 (Jan 1, 2012), there happened The Tien Lang land withdrawal case: in Tien Lang district (on the outskirts of Haiphong, a port city east of Hanoi) a fish farmer, Doan Van Vuong, and his family had resisted a large force moving in to enforce an eviction order. With an improvised mine and muskets bought on the black market, they’d wounded two soldiers and four policemen, including the local police chief. Prime  Minister Nguyen Tan Dung himself had to meet the Haiphong City authorities to resolve the case; and finally came to the conclusion on Feb 2 that the Haiphong government was absolutely wrong in the case; and he ordered the Haiphong City authorities to review their wrong works as and repair the situation. This case is just one among so many cases that show matters association with the land law. And this shocked case has raised the question of reforming the land law, which has been ambiguously claimed by the constitution as ―land is possessed by the whole peopleâ€â€". Mr. Dang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, comments that ―it’s possible to see the recent incident at Tien Lang as a climactic demonstration of the faults in our Land Law and how it is implemented at the local level. A good farmer, pure, simple and hardworking, who’s driven to defend his right to his land with home-made weapons – what misery! Everybody believes that there’s such a thing as justice and that the law ensures it. Certainly that’s what the farmers who built the fish ponds at Tien Lang believed. They went to the court expecting fair play, but the simple truths they understood proved elusive. The hopelessness of their situati on drove them to take desperate measures. As mentioned above, the 11th Congress of Vietnam Communist Party held in 2011 issued four degrees; and one of them is beginning the study of the amendments and supplements of the 1992 Constitution and establishing the revised draft of the 1992 Constitution. This is urgent and necessary for the development of the country. 6. Environment Viet Nam is blessed by the nature, with a great ecological and hydrological diversity. The country is made up of equatorial lowlands, high, temperate plateaus and cooler mountainous areas. It lies in the inter-tropical zone and local conditions vary from frosty winters in the far northern hills to the year-round subequatorial warmth of the Mekong Delta. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 27 °C in the south, falling to about 21 °C in the far north. Geographically, it stretches over 1600km (1000mi) along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula; and has two main cultivated areas, that are the Red River Delta (15,000 sq km/5400 sq mi) in the north  and the Mekong Delta (60,000 sq km/23,400 sq mi) in the south. Vietnam also has diverse wildlife, with rare and precious fauna such as elephants, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, black bear, snub-nosed monkey, crocodile and turtle. Forest area accounts for 2% of total forests in East Asia and Pacific. Fish catch is amon g the 10 highest countries in the world, with 1,451,800 tons per year. However, as the report of the World Bank on the environment in Viet Nam, ―Rapid economic growth in Vietnam over the last ten years, and its associated industrialization, urbanization, as well as increased exploitation of natural resources, has created significant pressures for the environment.â€â€"35 For example, the diverse wildlife is in precipitous decline because of the destruction of habitats, illegal hunting and pollution. In fact, Viet Nam Rhino was officially extinct in 2011. One of the most obvious examples for illustrating the environmental pollution is the phenomenon of getting narrowed of the lakes in Ha Noi. According to the Hanoi Construction Department, there are 111 ponds and lakes in Hanoi which cover a total area of 1165 hectares. The total area of lakes has decreased sharply during the urbanization, while a lot of them have disappeared. It is estimated that 80% of the lakesides have got polluted, 71% of lakes have suffered from pollution, 26% of the lakes still do not have embankments, while 8% of lakes have partial embankments. Environmentalists have called on to take urgent actions to protect the remaining lakes, or they would also disappear one day. Vietnam is among the countries that can be seriously affected by climate change. And the fact shows that the increasing deterioration of environmental conditions is emerging as a barrier to growth and development in recent years. In fact, according to the General Statistics Office, domestic natur al disasters occurred in 2011 has made 257 people dead and missing, 267 wounded; nearly 1.2 thousand houses collapsed and swept away; 391.8 thousand houses were submerged or damaged; more than 760 km of dykes, and the 680 km road motorized traffic bursts, landslides; 867 power poles broken or poured; nearly 54,000 hectares of rice and vegetables has been lost; more than 330,000 hectares of rice crops were flooded or damaged. Total value of damage caused by natural disasters in 2011 was estimated at over 10 trillion VND. Thus, this is really a big challenge of the country; and it needs a national and urgent action to prevent an ecological and hydrological catastrophe. C. BRIEF CONCLUSION With the aforementioned analysis of ―P.E.S.T.L.Eâ€â€", we see that in 2011, on the one hand, Viet Nam constantly attempted to keep its strategic plan of development, and also has obtained some important goals; on the other hand, the country had to face many difficulties and challenges which came both from outside and from inside. In my opinion, there are some main issues that the government should pay great attention in the coming years: reforming the education system, fighting against corruption (especially, promoting fiscal transparency and the public availability of economic data and information), reforming the state-owned sectors, amending laws, narrowing the gap between the Kinh, the Hoa and the ethnic minority groups, and improving environmental conditions.

Internet Job Research

Internet Job Research Employers in the current job market are very precise with regard to qualification of potential employees. It is important for an individual pursuing a certain career path to acquire knowledge on the qualities, which most employers want. Not only should the job seeker know the job requirements but also the benefits that characterize the job.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Internet Job Research specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A single profession may offer different salaries based on the employees educational prerequisites, expertise and environmental location. The tables below show variation of salary with respect to various degree courses, geographical location and varying years of experience (Pay scale, 2011). Accounting manager (Pay scale, 2011) Detail Amount Salary $39,558-$87710 Bonus $728-$11,151 Profit sharing $947-$7,003 Total pay $37,580-$91,381 Salary and bonus based on experience (Pay scale, 2011) Years of experience National Salary Data Bonus Less than 1 year $32,672-$47,932 $2000 1-4 years $39,896-$58,565 $2462 5-9 years $50,091-$75,499 $4,798 10-19 years $50,877-$77,731 $4,907 Over 20 years $50,422-$74,158 $2,979 Salary based on degree Degree Salary Bachelor of science( Accounting) $54,430-$80,179 Masters of Business Administration $61,403-$102,730 Associate’s Degree, Accounting $34,636-$50,000 Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) $57,561-$79,992 Bachelor of Arts (Accounting) $49,721-$75,076 Bachelor of Science(BS) $55,067-$70,256 Bachelor of Science Business administration $45,913-$84,500 Salary based on city (Geography) Houston $52,338 $82,750 New York $64,085 $96,341 Los Angeles $53,611 $82,025 Atlanta $53,175 $74,721 Chicago $58,246 $85,700 Dallas $51,977 $76,380 Denver $54,605 $72,943 Assistant Comptroller Detail Amount Salary $43,017-$95,241 Bonus $988-$17,676 Profit Sharin g $977-$10,113 Total pay $41,598-$102,739 Salary and bonus based on experience Years of experience Salary Bonus Less than 1 year $30,513-54,045 $2000 1-4 years $43,933-$63,972 $3,072 5-9 years $50,749-$76,460 $5,131 10-19 years $57,670-$86,243 $7,571 Over 20 years $53,025-$82,208 $4,050 Salary based on degree Degree Salary Bachelor of science (accounting) $51,730-$63,500 Bachelor of Business Administration $42,950-$65,850 Salary based on city (Geography) New York, $65,505 $96,562 Houston $46,794 $79,800 Chicago $51,222 $92,882 Los Angeles $68,153 $87,371 Dallas $50,209 $81,448 Atlanta $44,803 $65,035 Boston $52,359 $91,475 Accounting Manager The basic obligation of accounting managers is to prepare and analyze financial documents. In addition, the accounting manager prepares budgets; appraise procedures and act as an administrator of assets (Bureau of labor statistics 2011). The above table reveal that this job not only pays a basic salary but also gives other benefits that include profit share and Bonus. Tables further disclose that salary increases with the number of years of experience. Once a worker attains in excess of twenty years experience, no additional increment awarded. Bonus follows a rather peculiar trend as it increases as experienced is gained but once a worker attains twenty years of experience the amount of bonus decreases. Salary is awarded differently depending on degree course with holder of Masters in Business Administration being the best remunerated. Wages also fluctuate with regard to the geographical location. In this career, workers in the most urban and populous cities are best rewarded. Assistant Comptroller The individual holding this office must have adequate knowledge in the accounting field as an assistant comptroller has the basic duty of ensuring that records kept adhere to accounting policies (Bureau of labor statistics, 2011). This career seems to pay more but the remun eration show similar trend to that of an accounting manager. â€Å"Benefits offered include a basic salary, bonus and profit share† (Bureau of labor statistics, 2011). Salary and bonus increase with experience except bonus reduces on attainment of twenty years of practice. The statistic collected reveal that holders of Bachelor of Science (Accounting) receive better wages. Assistant comptrollers in the large populated cities generally receive better salaries in small towns. It important that proper educational experience is gained as it plays an important role in determining once career path. It is essential that students further their education to enable them land into their dream careers. Overall, these two jobs are similar but an assistant comptroller job that relates to auditing is rather interesting and is in my career path.Advertising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In conclusion, the two careers are related, as they require knowledge from the accounting field. The wages awarded to accounting managers and assistant comptrollers is relatively equal but the later are better paid. An accounting manager will be involved m in the preparation of records while an assistant comptroller will focus on enforcement standards. References Bureau of labor statistics (2011). Accountants and Auditors. Retrieved from  https://www.bls.gov/ Pay scale. (2011). Salary Snapshot for Accounting Manager Jobs. Retrieved from  https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Accounting_Manager/Salary#by_City Pay scale (2011). Salary Snapshot for Assistant Controller (Financial) Jobs.  Retrieved from  https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Assistant_Controller_(Financial)/Salary#by_City Appendix- Tip sheet on Internet sites Run by a recognized body or organization, for example the government Constantly revised Accurate Appropriately authored Appropriately dated C ontacts available Easily accessible information Referrals available for more details Affordability Sensitive to user’s needs Interactive interface User-friendliness Accurate sources Authorized modifications Disclaimers are available for people to seek professional help.

Complete Strategies Common App Essay Prompts (2018-19)

Complete Strategies Common App Essay Prompts (2018-19) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re applying to more than one or two colleges, there's a good chance you'llhave to use the Common Application, and that means you’ll probably have to write a Common App essay. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the essay. I'll break down every single Common App essay prompt by covering: What is the question asking? What do college admissions officers want to hear from you? What topics can you write about effectively? What should you avoid at all costs? This will be your complete starting guide for Common App essays. At the end of reading this, you should have a lot of ideas for your own essays and directions to write a really strong personal statement. Basic Info on the Common App Essay Before we dig into the nitty gritty of the individual prompts, let's quickly go over the logistics of the Common App essay and some general tips to keep in mind. Most - but Not All - Schools Require the Essay Although not every school in the US requires an essay as part of their application, the Common Application has traditionally required you to submit a blanket personal statement. That policy changed recently, and the essay is now optionalfor some schools. However, this policy has beenadopted by only a handful ofschools, including DePaul University, Georgia State University, Hampshire College, Old Dominion University, The New School, and the University of Idaho. Some of themrequire an additional writing supplement instead. If you’re applying to more than one or two schools on the Common App, you'll almost certainlyneed to write a response to the Common App prompts. As such, I would recommend sending your essay to schools even if they don't explicitly require it. You’re writing it anyways and it’s the bestway for the school to get to know you as a person. It's also worth noting that because of the way this system is set up, you could theoretically send a different essay to each school. However, doing so isn't a good use of your time: if schools want to know something more specific about you they’ll require a supplement. Focus on writing a single great personal statement. Pay Attention to the Word Limit The exact word limit for the Common App essay has varied somewhat over the years, butthe current range is 250-650 words. You must stay within this length; in fact, the online application won't allow you to submit fewer than 250 words or more than 650. Some schools will state that if this isn't enough space, you can send them a physical copy of your essay. Don't do this. No matter how tempting it may be, stick to the word limit. Otherwise, you risk seeming self-indulgent. In general, I would recommend shooting for an essay between 500 and 650 words long. You want to have enough space to really explore one specific idea, but you don't need to includeeverything. Editing is an important part of the essay writing process. The word limit is like this barbed wire- you shouldn't cross it, no matter how tempted you are. Don't Stress Too Much About the Question As you'll see, the Common App prompts areverygeneral and leave a lot of room for interpretation. Moreover, colleges interpret the questions generously - they're more concerned with learning something interesting about you than with whether your topic fits the question perfectly. Per a Common App survey, 85% of member schools "feel the prompts should be left open to broad interpretation." You can write about almost anything and make it work, so if you have an idea, don’t let the fact that it doesn’t fit neatlyinto one of these categories stop you. Treat these breakdowns as jumping off points to help you start brainstorming, not the final word in how you need to approach the essay. Make Sure You Look at This Year's Prompts The Common App change to the prompts fairly frequently, so make sure you're familiar with the most up-to-date versions of the Common App essay questions. If you have friends or siblings who applied in past years,don't assume that you can take the exact same approach they did. This guide will go over the details of all seven current prompts, but first let's talk about some overalladvice. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: 4 Tips For Finding Your Best Essay Topic As you're brainstorming and preparing to write your essay, you'll want to keep these tips in mind. You'll have to search for the best topic, just like this bird is searching for food. Make ItPersonal The point of a personal statement is to, well, make a personal statement, that is to say, tell the reader something about yourself. As such, your topic needs to be something meaningful to you. What does it mean for a topic to be "meaningful to you"? First, it means that you genuinely care about the topic and want to write your college essay on it - no one ever wrote a great essay on a topic that they felt they had to write about. Second, it means that the topic shows off a quality or trait you want to highlight for the admissions committee.For example, say I wanted to write about my summer job with the Parks Department. It's not enough to simply tell astory about my feud with a raccoon that kept destroying all the progress I made repairing a bench; I would need to make it clear what that experienceshows about my character (perseverance) and explain what ittaught me (that there are some things in life you simply can't control). Remember that the most important thing is that your essay is about you. This advice maysound obvious, but when you're used to writing academic essays it can be tricky to dive deep into your own perspective. Take Your Time Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and write, so you don't feel rushed into jotting something down about the first thing you can come up with and sending it right off. I recommend starting the writing process 2 monthsin advance of your first deadline. On a similar note, you shouldtake theessay seriously: it's an important part of your application and worth investing the time in to get right. If you just dash something off thoughtlessly, admissions officers will recognize that and consider it evidence that you aren't really interested in their school. Avoid Repetition Your essay should illustrate something about youbeyondwhat'sin the rest of your application. Try to write about a topic you haven't talked about elsewhere, or take a different angle on it. A college essay is not a resume - it's the best opportunity to show off your unique personality to admissions committees. Pick your topic accordingly. Get Specific The best topics are usually the narrowest ones: essays focused on a single interaction, a single phrase, or a single object. The more specific you can get, the more unique your topic will be to you. Lots of people have tried out for a school play, for example, but each had their own particular experience of doing so. One student saw trying out for the role of Hamlet as the culmination of many years of study and hard work and was devastatednot to get it, while another was simply proud to have overcome her nerves enough to try out for the chorus line inWest Side Story. These would make very different essays, even though they'reon basically the same topic. Another benefit of a specific topic is that it makescoming up with supporting details much easier. Specific, sensory detailsmake the reader feel like they're seeing the experience through your eyes, giving them a better sense of who you are. Take a look at this example sentence. General: I was nervous as I waited for my turn to audition. Specific: As I waited for my name to be called, I tapped the rhythm of "America" on the hard plastic chair, going through the beats of my audition song over and over in my head. The firstversion could be written by almost anyone; the second version has a specific perspective- it's also intriguing and makes you want to know more. The more specific your essay topic is, the more clearly your unique voice will come through and the more engaging your essay will be. Breaking Down the Common App Essay Prompts Now that we've established the basic ideas you need to keep in mind as you brainstorm, let's go through the Common App essay questions one at a time and break down what admissions committees are looking for in responses. Keep in mind that for each of these questions, there are really two parts.The first is describingsomething you did, or something that happened to you. The second is explaining what that event, action, or activity means to you. No essay is complete without addressingboth of sides of the topic. Prompt 1:A Key Piece of Your Story Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. What Is It Asking? This prompt is very broad. Is there something you do or love, or something that happened to you, that isn’t reflected elsewhere in your application but that you feel isvital to your personal story? Then this prompt could be a good one for you. The key is that whatever you write about needs to be genuinely important to you personally, not just something you think will look good to the admissions committee. You need to clarify why this story is so importantthat you couldn't leave it out of your application. What Do They Want to Know? This question is really about showing admissions officers how your background has shaped you. Can you learn and grow from your experiences? By identifyingan experience or trait that is vital to your story, you're also showingwhatkind of person you see yourself as - do you valueyour leadership abilities or your determination to overcome challenges? Your intellectual curiosityor your artistic talent? Everyone has more than one important trait, but in answering this prompt, you're telling admissions officers what you think is your most significant quality. What Kind of Topics Could Work? You could write about almost anything for this prompt:an unexpected interest, a particularly consuming hobby, a part of your family history, or a life-changing event. Make sure to narrow in on something specific, though. You don't have room to tell your whole life story. Your topiccan be serious or silly, as long as it's important to you. Just remember that itneeds to showcase a deeper quality of yours. For example, if I were writing an essay on this topic, I wouldprobably write about my life-long obsession with books. I'd start with a story about how my parents worried I read too much as a kid, give some specific examples of things I've learned from particular books, and talk about how my enthusiasm for readingwas so extreme it sometimes interfered with my actual life (like the time I tripped and fell because I couldn't be bothered to put down my book long enough to walk from my room to the kitchen). Then I would tie it all together by explaining how my love of reading has taught me to look for ideas in unexpected places. What Should You Avoid? You don't want your essay to read like a resume: itshouldn't be a list of accomplishments. Remember that your essay needs to add somethingto the rest of your application, so it also shouldn't focus on something you've already covered unless you have a really differenttake on it. Also try to avoid generic and broad topics: you don't want your essay to feel like it could've been written by any student. As I touched on above, one way to avoid this problem is to be very specific - rather than writing generally about your experience as the child of immigrants you might tell a storyabout a specific family ritual or meaningful moment. Prompt 2:Coping WithObstacles The lessons we take from obstacles we encountercan be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you faced a challenge, setback, orfailure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? What Is It Asking? This prompt is pretty straightforward. It's asking you describe a challenge or obstacle you faced or a time you failed and how you dealt with it. The part many students forget is the second half: what lessons did you learn from your challenge or failure? If you take on this question youmust show how you grew from the experience and, ideally, how you incorporated what you learned into other endeavors. What Do They Want to Know? This question really raises two issues: how you handle difficultsituations and whether you are capable of learning from your mistakes. You'll face a lot of challenges in college, both academic and social. In addressingthis prompt, you have the opportunity toshow admissions officers that you can deal with hardships without just giving up. You also need to show that you can learnfrom challenges andmistakes. Can you find a positive lesson in a negative experience? Colleges want to see an example of how you've done so. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Good topics will be specific and have a clearly explained impacton your perspective. You need to address both parts of the question: the experience of facing the challengeandwhat you learnedfrom it. However, almost any kind of obstacle, challenge, or failure, large orsmall, can work: Doing poorly at a job interview and how that taught you to deal with nerves Failing a class and how retaking it taught you better study skills Directing a school play when the set collapsed and how it taught you to stay cool under pressure and think on your feet What Should You Avoid? Make sure you pick an actual failure or challenge - don't turn your essay into a humblebrag. How you failed at procrastination because you're justso organized or how you've been challenged by the high expectations of teachers at school because everyone knows you are sosmartare not appropriate topics. Also, don't write about something completely negative. Your response needs to show that you got something out of your challenge or failure and that you've learned skills to apply to other situations. Spilling your coffee is not an appropriate failure, no matter how disastrous it may feel. Prompt 3: Challenging a Belief Reflect on a time when you questioneda belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? What Is It Asking? There are two ways to approach this question. The first is to talk about a time you questioneda person or groupon an idea of theirs. The second is to talk abouta time that something caused you to reconsider a belief of your own. In either case, you need to explain why you decided the belief should be challenged, what you actually did- if your story is just that someone gave you a new piece of information and you changed your mind, you should probably find a different topic - and how you feel about your actions in hindsight. What Do They Want to Know? The obvious question this prompt raises is what your values are and whether you're willing to stand up for what you believe. Whether you've reconsidered your own beliefs or asked others to reconsider theirs, it shows you've put genuine thought into what you value and why. However, colleges also want to see that you're open-mindedand able to be fair and kind towards those who have different beliefs than you do. Can you question someone else beliefs without belittling them? If not, don't write about this question. What Kind of Topics Could Work? This prompt is really one where you either have a relevant story or you don't. If there's a belief or idea that's particularly important to you, whether political or personal, this might be a good question for you to address. What Should You Avoid? The main pitfall with thisquestion is that lends itself to very abstract answers. It's not very interesting to read about how you used to believe chocolate isthe best ice cream flavor but then you changed your mind and decided the best flavor is actually strawberry. (Seriously, though, what is wrong with you!?) Make sure there's clear conflict and action in your essay. Divisive politicalissues, like abortion and gun rights, are tricky to write about (although not impossible) because people feel very strongly about them and often have a hard time accepting the opposite viewpoint. In general, I would avoid these kinds of topics unless you have a very compelling story. Also keep in mind that most people who work at colleges are liberal, so if you have a conservativeviewpoint you'll need to tread more carefully. Regardless of what you're writing about, don't assume the reader shares your views. You also want to avoid coming off as petty or inflexible, especially if you're writing about a controversial topic. It's great to have strong beliefs, but you also want to show that you're open to listening to other people's perspectives, even if they don't change your mind. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: Prompt 4:Solving a Problem Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. What Is It Asking? The first part is very straightforward: how have you or would you solve a problem? However, you also need to "explain its significance to you." In other words, whythis problem? What Do They Want to Know? This prompt helps admissions officerssee both what you care about and how you solve problems. Even if you pick something seemingly minor to talk about, like fixing a dishwasher on your own, explaining why you wanted to do it yourself (maybe because you like knowing how things work) and how you did so (maybe by asking other people for advice of maybe by looking up videos on YouTube) will show admissions officers a lot about what you value and how you think. Answering this questionis also an opportunity for you to show the maturity and perseverance you'll need to face the challenges of college. You will face inevitably face problems, both academic and personal, in these four years, and admissions officers want to see that you're capable of taking them on. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Any kind of problem (â€Å"no matter the scale†) is fine- it just has to be important to you. Like number 3, it will be easier if you can focus inon a specific event or occurrence. You can write about something funny, likehow you figured out how to care for your pet hedgehog, or something more serious, like how you resolved a family conflict. Writing abouta problem you want to solve, rather than one you've already found a solution to, is much harder because it's more abstract. You certainly can do it, however; just make sure to have a compelling and concrete explanation for why this problem is important to you and how you came upon the solution you're proposing. For example, say a student, Tommy,wanted to solve the problem of homelessness. First of all, because this is a very big problemthat no one person or solution is going to fix, hewould need to describe specifically what problem within thelarger issue hewants to address. Then, in writing his essay, he might focus on telling a story about how a man he met while volunteering in a homeless shelter inspired his idea to hire men and women living in shelters to work as liaisons in public spaces like libraries and parks to help homeless people get access to the services they need. What Should You Avoid? Avoid anything sweeping or general: for example, "How I plan to solve world hunger" is probably not going work. As I mentioned above, you want to stick to concrete ideas and solutions that clearly relate to your own experiences. Simply writing down some of your ideas, no matter how great they are, isn't going to make for a very interesting essay. Look at those dummies, solving a problem! Prompt 5: Personal Growth and Maturity Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What Is It Asking? Like prompt 1, this one is very general. It's asking you to talk about something you did or something that happenedthat caused you to grow or mature as a person. The other key point to remember when addressingthis question is that you need to explain how this event changed or enriched your understanding of yourself or other people. What Do They Want to Know? In short: when and how have you grown as a person?Personal growth and maturity are complicated issues. You essay may touch on themes like personal responsibility and your role in the world and your community. You don't have to explain your whole worldview, but you need to give readers a sense of why this particular event caused significant growth for you as a person. This prompt can also help you show either a) your own sense of self-concept or b) how you relate to others. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Much like prompt 3, this question likely either appeals to you or doesn't. Nonetheless, here are some potential topics: A time you had to step up in your household A common milestone (like voting for the first time or getting your driver's license) that was particularly meaningful to you A big change in your life, like becoming an older sibling or moving to a new place It's important that your topic describesa transition that lead toreal positive growth or change in you as a person. However, personal growth is a gradual process, and you can definitely still approach this topic if you feel like you have more maturing to do. (Fun fact: most adults feel like they have more maturing to do, too!) Just focus in on a specific step in the process of growing upand explain what it meant to you and how you've changed. What Should You Avoid? Almost any topic could theoretically make a good essay about personal growth, but it's important that the overall message conveys maturity. If the main point of your essay about junior prom is that you learned that you look bad in purple and now you know not to wear it, you will seem like you just haven't had a lot of meaningful growth experiences in your life. You also want the personal growth and new understanding(s) you describe in your essay to be positive in nature. If the conclusion of your essay is "and that's how I matured and realized that everyone in the world is terrible," that's not going to play very well with admissions committees as you'll seem pessimistic and unable to cope with challenges. Prompt 6: Your Passion Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? What Is It Asking? This prompt is asking you todescribe something that you're intellectually passionate about.Butin addition to describing a topic of personal fascination and why you're so interested in it, you also need to detail how you have pursued furthering your own knowledge of the topic.Did you undertake extra study? Hole yourself up in the library? Ask your math team coach for more practice problems? What Do They Want to Know? Colleges want to admit students who are intellectually engaged with the world. They want you to show that you have a genuine love for the pursuit of knowledge. Additionally, by describing how you've learned more about your chosen topic, concept, or idea, you show that you areself-motivatedand resourceful. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Pretty much any topic you are really interested in and passionate about could make a good essay here, just so long as you can put can a) put an intellectual spin on it and b) demonstrate that you've gone out of your way to learn about the topic. SoIt's fine to say that the topic that engages you most is football, but talk about what interests you in an academic sense about the sport. Have you learned everything there is to know about the history of the sport? Are you an expert on football statistics? Emphasize how the topic you are writing about engages your brain. What Should You Avoid? Don't pick something you don't actually care about just because you think it would sound good. If you say you love black holes but you actually hate them and you tortured yourself with astronomy books in the library for a weekend toglean enough knowledge to write your essay, your lack of enthusiasm will come through. Prompt 7: Your Choice Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. What Is It Asking? You can write about anything for this one! What Do They Want to Know? Since this is a choose-your-own-adventure prompt, colleges aren't looking for anything specific to this prompt. However, you'll want to demonstrate some of the same qualities that colleges are looking for in all college essays: things like academic passion, maturity, resourcefulness, and persistence. What are your values? How do you face setbacks? These are all things you can consider touching on in your essay. What Kind of Topics Could Work? If you already have a topic in mind for this one that doesn't really fit with any of the other prompts, go for it! What Should You Avoid? Avoid essays that aren't really about you as a person. So no submitting your rhetorical close-reading of the poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" you wrote for A.P. English! However, if you want to write about the way that "Ode on a Grecian Urn" made you reconsider your entire approach to life, go ahead! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. 5Key Takeaways About the Common AppEssay Questions We've covered a lot of ground, but don't panic. I've collected the main ideas you should keep in mind as you plan your Common App essay below. Neatly packaged takeaways. (Henry Faber/Flickr) A Topic for Prompt 1 MustBe Something Beyond What’s in the Rest of Your Application For prompt 1, it's absolutely vital that your topicbe something genuinely meaningful to you. Don’t write about something just because you think it’s impressive. Big achievements andleadership roles, likeserving as captain of a team or winning a journalism award, can certainly be used as topics, but only if you can explain why they mattered to you beyond that it was cool to be in charge or that you liked winning. It's better if you can pick out something smaller and more individual, like helping your team rally after a particularly rough loss or laboring over a specific articleto make sure you get every detail right. Prompts 2, 4, and 6 Are Generally the Simplest Options Most students have an experience or interest that will work for either prompt 2, prompt 4, or prompt 6. If you’re uncertain what you want to write about, think about challenges you've faced, aproblem you solved or want to solve, or your major intellectual passions. These prompts are slightly easier to approachthan the others because they lend themselves to very specific and concrete topics that show clear growth. Describinga failure and what you learnedfrom it is much simpler than trying to clarify why an event is a vital part of your identity. Prompts 3 and 5 Can Be Trickier, but That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Write About Them These questionsask about specific types of experiences that not every high school student has had. If they don't speak to you, don't feel compelled to write about them. If you do want to take on prompt 3 or 5, however, remember to clearly explain your perspective to the reader, even if it seems obvious to you. For prompt 3, you have to establish not just whatyou believe but why you believe it and why that belief matters to you. For prompt 5, you need to clarify how you moved from childhood to adulthood and what that means to both you and others. These prompts elicit some of the most personal responses, which can make forgreat essays but also feel too revealing to many students. Trust your instincts and don’t pick a topic you’re not comfortable writing about, but don't hesitate to take on a difficult or controversial topic if you're excited about it and think you can treat it with the necessary nuance. Make Sure to Explain What Your Experience Taught You I've tried to emphasize this idea throughout this guide: it's not enough to simply describewhat you did, you have to explain what it meant to you. Pushing past the surface level while avoiding cliches and generalizations is a big challenge, but it's also what will make your essay stand out. Make sure you know what personal quality you want to emphasize before you start and keep it in mind as you write.Try to avoid boring generalizations in favor of more specific and personal insights. Bad: Solving a Rubik'scube for the first time taught me a lot. Better:Solving a Rubik'scube for the first timetaught me that I love puzzles andmade me wonder what other problems I could solve. Best: When I finally twisted the last piece of the Rubik'scube into place after months ofwork, I was almost disappointed. I'd solved the puzzle; what would I do now? But then I started to wonder ifI could use what I'd learned to do the whole thingfaster. Upon solving oneproblem, I had immediately moved onto the next one, as I do with most things in life. Then, as you go back throughyour essayto edit, every step of the wayask yourself, "so what?" Why does the reader need to know this? What does it show about me? How can I go one step deeper? Don't Worry About What You Think You're Supposed to Write There is no single right answer to these prompts, and if you tryto find one you'll end up doing yourself a disservice. What's important is to tell your story - and no one can tell you what that means because it's unique to you. Many students believe that they should write about resume-padding activities that look especially impressive, like volunteering abroad. These essays are often boring and derivative because the writer doesn't really have anything to say on the topic and assumes that it will speak for itself. But the point of a personal statement isn't to explain what you've done, it's to show who you are. Take the time to brainstorm and figure outwhat you want to show colleges about yourself and what story or interest best exemplifies that quality. What's Next? For more background on college essaysand tips for crafting a great one, check out our complete explanation ofthe basics of the personal statement. Make sure you're prepared for the rest of the college application process as well, with our guides to asking for recommendations, writing about extracurriculars, taking the SAT, and researching colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: