4 Ways to Impress Your Tough New Boss

4 Ways to Impress Your Tough New Boss4 Ways to Impress Your Tough New BossWhen youve just landed a new boss, you naturally step your game up- clocking in a few minutes earlier, proofreading emails an extra time, and digging your most professional clothes out of the back of your closet. And this goes a long way- for some bosses.Others, though, are impossible to impress by design. Theyve taken a page from the tough teacher handbook, and they intend to be strict and avoid smiling until springtime when theyll soften up (just a bit).So, if your new manager falls in this category, what else can you do to show him or her what a smart, capable, and well, impressive, employee you are? Try these tricks.1. Try it Her Way From departure to FinishA personnel change- especially at the management level- often means there will be some new approaches. And while you may think arguing that theres no room for improvement in the way you currently do things will demonstrate how efficient you are, it actua lly comes off mora like Sorry, boss- I dont think the time it would take to try it your way is worth it. (And who would be impressed with that employee?)So, shelve the phrase, thats how weve always done it, and next time the boss suggests a new approach to something, focus on responding positively. Ask relevant questions, take bedrngnises, and execute the task in accordance with his or her new game plan.Really, its a win-win. If the new strategy works, youve successfully completed a project under your hard-to-please boss watchful eye. And if it doesnt, youve still proven youre open to innovation (and the next time you push back on something, he or she will know that its not because youre deckenfries in your ways).Related New Boss? 3 Ways to Let it Inspire You2. Share Institutional KnowledgeThat said- dont confuse being open to change with silencing your opinions. A new boss is relying on your know-how, and his or her plan to try new ideas doesnt negate your past experience. In fact, its the combination of your experience and this fresh perspective that will make your team the most successful.So, if your boss is walking into an issue youve already encountered, speak up. The trick here is to position your point of view not as I know and you dont, but as helpful insider info. Try using a specific situation youve encountered in the past, followed by a helpful out. For example, I remember we once scheduled a board dinner after a meeting, and not many members stuck around. Thats when we decided to shift the social events to before the meetings. Would it be helpful if I floated a few different times by key members? Youll impress your boss with your insight as well as your diplomacy.Related Giving Feedback to Your Boss- Like a Boss3. Fake it Until You Make ItJust as performers picture people in their underwear to get over stage fright, you need to master pretending that your new boss likes you. Why? Because if you spend every minute in the office in a paranoid frenzy, youre not only going to psych yourself out, but youll also be distracting yourself from what you should be focusing on- your work.As flaky as it sounds, you need start imagining that your boss likes you and acting accordingly. Before you go into a meeting, visualize him or her nodding and giving you positive feedback. Those good feelings will make you speak more confidently and smile more, which will in turn help you make a great impression.Related How to Get Over the Feeling That Youre Not Good Enough for Your Job4. Ask for Critical FeedbackPerhaps youve tried everything Youve done a great job of trying new things, youve been helpful by building on the old ones, and youve calmly and confidently walked into every important meeting. In fact, no matter how many times you sit back and evaluate your job performance, you cant figure out why your new boss always seems dissatisfied. Now what?The best thing to do is schedule a meeting with your new boss, and ask for direct feedback Now tha t weve been working together for a few weeks, Id love to get your feedback on what is working well- and what isnt. Asking your boss to identify your areas for improvement forces him or her to take an inventory of your work as whole- including everything youre getting right. Moreover, if theres something specific youre doing wrong, youll know. And, the sooner you do, the sooner you can make a change.Related Taking Constructive Criticism Like a ChampYou want to feel great about what youre doing every day, especially to your boss. So dealing with a tough one can be, well, tough. But arm yourself with these strategies above, and your boss will be on your side in no time.Photo of women working courtesy of Shutterstock.

4Y0X2 - Dental Laboratory - AFSC Description

4Y0X2 - Dental Laboratory - AFSC Description4Y0X2 - Dental Laboratory - AFSC DescriptionIf you want to one day become a dentist, or serve your country learning a useful civilian work skill in the dental care community, consider training to become a dental laboratory specialist.The Air Force specifically has the Air Force Specialty Code 4Y0X2 that teaches airmen complex dental care procedures by providing lab work to build custom dental prostheses (false teeth), implants, crowns, mouth guards, retainers and more. If the Air Force dentist or clinic puts it into your mouth, its likely it was personally made to custom fit you by someone in the Air Force Dental Lab Tech world. If you like to work in small groups or alone on individual projects, the Dental Lab Tech maybe perfect for you and technicians will rarely interact with patients.The details are given to you by the dentist and you create the product in the lab without even seeing a patient (most likely).Consider the job parte scienc e and part arts and crafts. So, you need to be good with molding objects but also using computers to draw and design the objects for the dentist. See Air Force Video Qualifications / Training The Dental Laboratory Specialist / Technician has a good civilian job market after obtaining experience in the military. If you have fine motor skills, neat and meticulous with projects, or have an artistic eye, this may be the career field for you. To qualify for this Air Force Specialty Code (Air Force job), you need to be able to do the following ASVAB - G 66 Color vision required Obtain a Security Clearance of level - Secret CCAF EarnedDental Laboratory Technology Dental Tech school is approximately 6 months at Joint Base Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. You will attend with other branches of service as well as have instructors from the Army, Air Force, and Navy. The following training is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated4Y032. Completion of a basic dental laboratory course.4 Y072. Completion of the advanced dental laboratory course.4Y052. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4Y032. Also, experience fabricating prosthodontic restorations including fixed gold and porcelain fused to metal, and denture and orthodontic appliance fabrications.4Y072. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4Y052. Also, experience performing and supervising functions such as fabricating and repairing dental prostheses and appliances. Other. The following are mandatory for entry into this specialtyPrior qualification in and possession of AFSC 4Y051 or 4Y071.Physical Profile 212221 Experience The Air Force Dental Lab Techs will work in two locations, Area Dental Labs (ADLs), or at cousine dental clinics. ADLs are large groups of lab techs that create products for large areas and perhaps dozens of dental clinics in the region as needed.Making all the products by hand for the entire Air Force can cause delays and backflow and often the ADLs will pick up the slack from overburden ed base dental clinics. The work hours in the Air Force Dental Clinic are good typically (0700-1600, with 1 hour lunch break).PT during those hours are also available three times a week, however, sometimes if the workload increases and deadlines are not being met, you are in the military, so expect to stay late to finish cases if you get behind on work. It will be doubtful a dental technician will deploy.You can be stationed overseas around the world, but there is not mission for a dental technician in a deployed status.However, there maybe opportunities for humanitarian missions in other countries for short deployments. Duties and Responsibilities The Dental Lab Tech performs procedures to fabricate and repair complete dental prostheses, fixed and removable partial dental prostheses, and individual crowns, inlays, pontics, splints, stabilizers, and space maintainers. They also perform the following Uses precious and non-precious metals, acrylic resins, and porcelain as basic ma teries.Supervises dental laboratory administration tasks and equipment.Maintains dental laboratory records.Prepares reports on laboratory activities.Requisitions, stores, and issues supplies.Inspects equipment and performs minor maintenance.Reports defective equipment or utilities for corrective action.Accounts for precious metals expended.Inspects and evaluates administrative and technical procedures.Furnishes deficiency reports and outstanding accomplishments to Dental Squadron Commander. Interprets inspection findings and recommends corrective action.Consults and coordinates with dental surgeon for improving procedures. Institutes corrective measures, and maintains follow-up action to ensure adequacy and compliance. Specialty Qualifications Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory oforal anatomy and physiology inorganic chemistry metallurgy fundamentals dental laboratory technology dental material physical and chemical properties dental laboratory equipment and maintenance sterile t echniques and administration. Civilian Marketability The skills in the dental lab are highly transferable, but you will actually make more money in the Air Force for at least your first 6-8 years in the job.Your experience will transfer into higher paying jobs on the spectrum as it can range from $20-60k depending upon your abilities and talent and continued education.As you advance, consider learning how to make dentures as that can boost your marketability in the civilian sector. When the military cannot produce enough of these jobs, they will hire DoD civilians to assist with GS positions.Most of these positions are actually military retired dental technicians who get a pension from the military and a salary from the Department of Defense as a GS Civilian Dental Tech.

Workplace ableism What I wish my company did differently

Workplace ableism What I wish my company did differentlyWorkplace ableism What I wish my company did differentlyAbleism is defined as discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. According to the US Census Bureau, 54 million Americans have a disability, and people with severe disabilities working full time earn approximately $1,000 less per month than non-disabled workers. Meanwhile, 13.3 million people with disabilities between the ages 16 and 64 have experienced difficulty finding employment in the first place because of their disability. Because of that, theres a 70% unemployment rate among them.The discrimination or oppression of individuals with disabilities, intentional or unintentional, has no place in the workforce. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is tasked with monitoring disability-related workplace discrimination, as well as employment discrimination complaints on all accounts- race, color, sex, age, religion, retaliation, pay equity, genetic informati on, and national origin. The EEOC said charges of job bias related to disability dropped to 26,838 in 2017 from an all-time high of 28,073 the year prior, which is progress, but thats still a hefty number. As for 2017, 31.9% of the 84,254 total charges cited disability discrimination. Of those disability-related cases, 5,540 were resolved in favor of the person who brought the complaint, and the agency secured $135.2 million in monetary benefits for them.But it doesnt always work out that way, and companies can typically do a better job at handling employees with disabilities. In fact, employers with 14 or fewer employees, as well as all state employers, are exempt from the federal restrictions against discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. This means that these small employers can refuse to employ someone just because they are sitting in a wheelchair.I have faced ableism in the workplace, when I worked for companies and with other people, explains Alison Carville, a sole practitioner of Carville Communication Consulting, and a woman who uses a wheelchair. Such examples are notlage allowing me extra time to complete certain tasks required by my job, or allowing me a notecard to help me remember certain processes while in job training. I always had to ask coworkers for certain things in high cabinets and make sure my wheelchair wasnt in their way.Shes also experienced and witnessed discrediting of her own/others autonomy, she says.People have cut in front of me when Im about to perform a task, and it ends up often physically hurting myself and the other person, she explains. They just wanted to help, but since we did not communicate, neither of us knew what the other was doing.Carville says that she actually feels privileged that people can at least see her disability. Meanwhile, 88% of the disabilities that afflict humanity today are not visible - the average person would not know that there is a person with a disability in the office. Becau se of that, she says that many people think just building a ramp on a building with steps is the one-and-done way to fix ableism, but they forget about braille, seeing-eye dogs/assistant dogs, ergonomic workspaces, easy-to-grip tools, closed captions, class note-takers, recording devices for lectures and all the other ways companies could improve their workspaces and make them more accessible for those with disabilities.Words matter, she also adds. Using words like see, stand, run, etc. might have nothing to do with an action, but people can say things like advocate for, or enter in a race/election, etc. instead.And, speaking of communication, always asking and prying for the sob story of how one became disabled is inappropriate, she advises.Most people were born with their disability, and its what we know, so there was no major life adjustment, except in the case of inaccessible environments, she explains. There isnt always a sob story to tell to an able-bodied person to pity on us from that moment forward.In essence, ableism doesnt only mean not hiring someone for their disability it also means disregarding ones disability, disrespecting someone for their disability and making assumptions about ones disability. Only when we stop defining people with disabilities as disabled people instead of referring to them as people with disabilities, and when we start making the accommodations necessary for them to perform their responsibilities (because they can if provided the aforementioned fixes), will all employees be treated with the same respect.This article first appeared on Fairygodboss.