The heat was unbearable as I pulled up to the star Essay Example For Students

The heat was unbearable as I pulled up to the star Essay ting line. The smell of exhaust gases and burned rubber filled the air. The starting light received my fullest attention, zoning everything out of my conscience. 321green light! I stomped my foot on the accelerator as I side stepped my clutch. Shifting into second gear, I flipped the switch to my nitrous oxide system. Instantaneously I was thrown back into my seat. All of a sudden a loud pop disturbed the smooth roar of my engine. Halfway down the track my engine shut off and forced me to coast the car to the finish line. My teammates were already waiting at the end of the drag strip. Unable to restart my car, we pushed it back to our pit area. My hopes were crushed as I went over the fact that my day of racing was already over. We will write a custom essay on The heat was unbearable as I pulled up to the star specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Drag racing is a big part of my life. All of my spare time is spent working on my 1996 Honda Accord. With a big import drag racing approaching quickly, I spent most of my waking hours for a week tuning my car. Sweat and hours of hard work finally prepared my car for racing. The interior was stripped down to the sheet metal and contained only the drivers seat to reduce weight. The whole exhaust system was removed to gain that little edge of power, which is essential for racing. My car was finally race ready, waiting to tear up the track. The following day, our race team met up at the track. In the pit area, we changed out our street tires for high performance drag slicks. After a few more last minute adjustments, I pulled into the staging lane and waited for my turn to race. Little did I know that my first race would end up in disaster, a blown engine. All of the hard work and dedication towards my car seemed to be a futile effort because of the bad results. After we pushed my car back to the pit area, we took apart the engine, looking for the problem. I immediately found it to be a bent cam sprocket. The situation seemed hopeless because I had a tuned specially tuned sprocket. We scrambled around the track asking people if they had any spares, yet our efforts seemed fruitless. With the nest race approaching quickly, we ran into a little luck. It wasnt the best sprocket, but it would have to do. I barely put the engine together in time to make the next rounds of racing.Once again I pulled back into the staging lanes and resumed the wait for my second run. Half an hour later, I was back at the starting line. Just like my previous run I concentrated on the lights. However, this time, my concentration was overshadowed by the outcome of my earlier race. As the light turned green, I left the line with a perfect start; I shifted into second and punched my nitrous once again. The car steadily picked up speed and as soon as the race had started I was passing the finish line going over a hundred miles an hour. A sigh of relief escaped from me as I glanced over at my opponents lanevictory.Even though I made it to the final rounds of elimination I lost the final and most important race. However, I didnt care about the loss because I knew that instead of making it this far, I could have been standing on the sideline with a broken car instead of racing. I realized that any obstacle would be overcome if you pursued it hard enough. Pursuit of happiness and achieving goals is an important part of life. Difficulties and a lack of results should not discourage ones strive for happiness. If the desire to accomplish something is great enough dreams can be achieved no matter what the hardships or the time it takes. .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .postImageUrl , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:hover , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:visited , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:active { border:0!important; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:active , .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufcaa698a64b0835552620886a259958e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ryan Vergara-Mangan Essay Difficulties will make the achievement of a goal much more sweet because of the rewards of overcoming the little kinks and knots of life.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and Animal Cruelty

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and Animal Cruelty The Iditarod Trail dog sled race is a sled dog race from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska, a route that is over 1,100 miles long. Aside from basic animal rights arguments against using dogs for entertainment or to pull sleds, many people object to the Iditarod because of the animal cruelty and deaths involved. â€Å"[J]agged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast . . . temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills.† This is from the official Iditarod website. The death of a dog in the 2013 Iditarod has prompted race organizers to improve protocols for dogs removed from the race. History of the Iditarod The Iditarod Trail is a National Historic Trail and was established as a route for dog sleds to access remote, snowbound areas during the 1909 Alaskan gold rush. In 1967, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began as a much shorter sled dog race, over a portion of the Iditarod Trail. In 1973, race organizers turned the Iditarod Race into the grueling 9-12 day race that it is today, ending in Nome, AK. As the official Iditarod website puts it, â€Å"There were many who believed it was crazy to send a bunch of mushers out into the vast uninhabited Alaskan wilderness.† The Iditarod Today The rules for the Iditarod require teams of one musher with 12 to 16 dogs, with at least six dogs crossing the finish line. The musher is the human driver of the sled. Anyone who has been convicted of animal cruelty or animal neglect in Alaska is disqualified from being a musher in the Iditarod. The race requires the teams to take three mandatory breaks. Compared to previous years, the entry fee is up and the purse is down. Every musher who finishes in the top 30 receives a cash prize. Inherent Cruelty in the Race According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, at least 136 dogs have died in the Iditarod or as a result of running in the Iditarod. The race organizers, the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC), simultaneously romanticize the unforgiving terrain and weather encountered by the dogs and mushers, while arguing that the race is not cruel to the dogs. Even during their breaks, the dogs are required to remain outdoors except when being examined or treated by a veterinarian. In most U.S. states, keeping a dog outdoors for twelve days in freezing weather would warrant an animal cruelty conviction, but Alaskan animal cruelty statutes exempt standard dog mushing practices: This section does not apply to generally accepted dog mushing or pulling contests or practices or rodeos or stock contests. Instead of being an act of animal cruelty, this exposure is a requirement of the Iditarod. At the same time, Iditarod rules prohibit â€Å"cruel or inhumane treatment of the dogs.† A musher may be disqualified if a dog dies of abusive treatment, but the musher will not be disqualified if â€Å"[T]he cause of death is due to a circumstance, nature of the trail, or force beyond the control of the musher. This recognizes the inherent risks of wilderness travel.† If a person in another state forced their dog to run over 1,100 miles through ice and snow and the dog died, they would probably be convicted of animal cruelty. It is because of the inherent risks of running the dogs across a frozen tundra in sub-zero weather for twelve days that many believe the Iditarod should be stopped. The official Iditarod rules state, â€Å"All dog deaths are regrettable, but there are some that may be considered unpreventable.† Although the ITC may consider some dog deaths unpreventable, a sure way to prevent the deaths is to stop the Iditarod. Inadequate Veterinary Care Although race checkpoints are staffed by veterinarians, mushers sometimes skip checkpoints and there is no requirement for the dogs to be examined. According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, most of the Iditarod veterinarians belong to the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association, an organization that promotes sled dog races. Instead of being impartial caregivers for the dogs, they have a vested interest, and in some cases, a financial interest, in promoting sled dog racing. Iditarod veterinarians have even allowed sick dogs to continue running and compared dog deaths to the deaths of willing human athletes. However, no human athlete has ever died in the Iditarod. Intentional Abuse and Cruelty Concerns about intentional abuse and cruelty beyond the rigors of the race are also valid. According to an  ESPN article: Two-time runner-up Ramy Brooks was disqualified from the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for abusing his dogs. The 38-year-old Brooks hit each of his 10 dogs with a trail marking lathe, similar to a surveyors stake, after two refused to get up and continue running on an ice field [...] Jerry Riley, winner of the 1976 Iditarod, was banned for life from the race in 1990 after he dropped a dog in White Mountain without informing veterinarians the animal was injured. Nine years later, he was allowed back in the race. One of Brooks’ dogs later died during the 2007 Iditarod, but the death was believed to be unrelated to the beating. Although Brooks was disqualified for beating his dogs, nothing in the Iditarod rules prohibits mushers from whipping the dogs. This quote from  The Speed Mushing Manual, by Jim Welch, appears on the Sled Dog Action Coalition: A training device such as a whip is not cruel at all but is effective [...] It is a common training device in use among dog mushers [...] A whip is a very humane training tool [...] Never say whoa if you intend to stop to whip a dog [...] So without saying whoa you plant the hook, run up the side Fido is on, grab the back of his harness, pull back enough so that there is slack in the tug line, say Fido, get up immediately rapping his hind end with a whip. As if dog deaths were not enough, the rules allow mushers to kill moose, caribou, buffalo, and other large animals â€Å"in defense of life or property† along the race. If the mushers were not racing in the Iditarod, they wouldn’t encounter wild animals defending their territory. Breeding and Culling Many of the mushers breed their own dogs for use in the Iditarod and other sled dog races. Few dogs can become champions, so it is common practice to  cull  the unprofitable dogs. An email from former musher Ashley Keith to the Sled Dog Action Coalition explains: When I was active in the mushing community, other mushers were open with me about the fact that larger Iditarod kennels frequently disposed of dogs by shooting them, drowning them or setting them loose to fend for themselves in the wilderness. This was especially true in Alaska, they said, where veterinarians were often hours away. They often used the phrase Bullets are cheaper. And they noted that its more practical for mushers in remote parts of Alaska to do it themselves. The Mushers Although the mushers endure some of the same harsh conditions faced by the dogs, the mushers decide voluntarily to run the  race and are fully aware of the risks involved. The dogs do not make such decisions knowingly or voluntarily. The mushers can also voluntarily decide to drop out and walk away when the race is too difficult. In contrast, individual dogs are dropped from the team when they are sick, injured or dead. Furthermore, the mushers are not whipped if they are going too slow. Changes After Dog Death in 2013 In the 2013 Iditarod, a dog named Dorado was removed from the race because he was moving stiffly. Dorados musher, Paige Drobny, continued the race and, following standard protocol, Dorado was left outside in the cold and the snow at a checkpoint. Dorado died of asphyxiation after being buried in snow, although seven other dogs who were also covered in snow survived. As a result of Dorados death, race organizers plan to build dog shelters at two checkpoints and also check on the dropped dogs more frequently. More flights will also be scheduled to transport dropped dogs from checkpoints that are not accessible via roads. What Can I Do? You dont have to be a member of PETA to believe in animal rights. Even with the entry fee, the Iditarod loses money on each musher, so the race relies on money from corporate sponsors. Urge the sponsors to stop supporting animal cruelty, and boycott sponsors of the Iditarod. The Sled Dog Action Coalition has a  list of sponsors  as well as a  sample letter.

World History - Empires& integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World History - Empires& integration - Essay Example donian army and established hegemony over neighboring Greece, Thrace and Illyria after his decisive victory over the combined Greek forces at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 B.C. After his assassination, his son Alexander III (356 – 323 B.C.), one of the greatest military geniuses of all time, quelled the Greek rebellion, subjugated the Persian Empire after the battles of Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela and extended the Macedonian Empire up to the Punjab in India. Alexander’s premature death led to conflicts of succession and his Empire was carved up among his generals into Macedonia and Greece (Antigones), Egypt (Ptolemy) and Asia (Seleucus). With the Roman victories in the Macedonian Wars and the death of the last Macedonian king Perseus at Pydna in 168 B.C., followed by the Roman victories over Egypt and the Seleucid forces, Macedonia became a Roman province and the great Macedonian Empire disappeared (Macedonia, 2006). Alexander attempted to integrate all the disparate regions of his conquests into one unified Empire. He adopted Persian dress, retained defeated princes as governors of their provinces, discoursed with Indian philosophers, encouraged and legitimized intermarriages between his soldiers and the natives and himself married the Persian Emperor Darius’ daughter Barsine and the Bactrian, Roxanne. He established programmes to introduce Greek and Macedonian culture to the Persians. After his death, which is considered to end of the Classical Period, large scale migration of Greeks and Macedonians into the conquered territories marked the Hellinistic Age, when the establishment of Greek speaking cities throughout the Empire and the increased movement of people and ideas spread Greek civilization to Asia and Egypt. This Hellenistic legacy lasted beyond the end of the Empire (The Encyclopedia of World History, 2001). However, the disintegration of the Macedonian Empire and its’ a bsorption into the Byzantine, Slav and Turkish Empires led to the

Transport management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transport management - Coursework Example An effective and efficient supply chain, which occurs through collaboration, is indispensable in sustaining the project. Sustainability is a key issue in every project. This occurs as business entities constantly create externalities to the environment. Organizations, therefore, have to realize that they are part of a larger chain that they create costs to the same. Externalities normally occur in terms of environmental costs that businesses extend upon the population. In this sense, the Bamstrad tender faces the duty of ensuring sustainable work. Sustainability refers to the idea of production that allows for similar future production. This suggests that current producers should not exploit the environment to the extent that that it constrains the capacity for future survival. To begin with, the project managers should establish a proper relationship with the surrounding community. The surrounding community entails many partners, of whom the project indirectly affects. For instance, the schools and the business entities acquire the benefits and costs of the project. In this sense, it is instrumental to involve them by ensuring that they give their opinions about the development of the project. In case such a project produces detrimental results to the environment, the community becomes the first-hand account of the experience (Tumlin, 2012). This suggests that the community is one of the most effective ways of measuring the success of a public project. A proper relationship with the community helps the community report on particular faults. For instance, the community may gauge the noise levels of the tractors. This helps the project managers fine-tune the tractors’ engines to produce less noise. In addition, a proper regulation and assessment system needs to be established. This requires the economic accounting of costs and benefits of the project. Regular accounting of developing costs and benefits makes the project managers understand the

Chicken Ala Carte Essay Example for Free

Chicken Ala Carte Essay Thousands of people die every day due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society. The people who live on the refuse of men to survive. What is inspiring is the hope and spirituality that never left this people. It clearly displayed that hunger and poverty kicks as main problem of the society and some people are too blind to see it. The videography of the film was too shaky and some parts are blurry. This is actually effective for me as for the fact that it is a documentary and it made me feel like I am in the real setting of the event. Another element is the actors in the film. They portrayed their roles truly and they were really convincing which made the film so sympathetic and melancholic. The songs used in the later part of the film also added to the mood. The setting of the film was very dirty and crowded, enough components to represent a place where poverty is happening. The kids in the squatters’ area were also good representations of hunger and malnutrition in an isolated community. The most powerful part of the story, for me, was when the father tapped his kid on his hands, which cannot wait to eat, just because he forgot to pray. This showed me that even though things are getting to worse than expected, we still have to give thanks to Him for we are blessed that we still live this life with His spirit guiding us. It also displayed to me the spirituality of a man and his faith that is strong enough to continue living their lives. Furthermore, this film made me realize that I am so blessed. Many people out there struggle for food while I can easily buy them anywhere I wanted to. I can choose where to live while they cannot because they cannot afford a concrete shelter. These people are the ones in need and we must have time to reach out for them to have their chance of having a life with comfort. In addition, I couldn’t stop myself from having sympathy for those who are on the overlooked portion of our country for they are the ones who deserve to benefit the profit our country has earned. In this kind of situation, you can’t really avoid to demand that those people should be the one our government should be focusing on improving one’s life due to the fact that since they pursue themselves to the politics, it is their duty to serve their countrymen first before anything else. Aside from scarcity, I believe education is also the key to keep away from those kinds of circumstances in life because if you are a well-educated person, you will be aware of family planning and most especially you have the capability to earn money and buy foods in order for you and your family to survive.

The Greenhouse Effect, A Torrent of Information, and the Politics of Ma

The Greenhouse Effect, A Torrent of Information, and the Politics of Mass Uncertainty Introduction: Global warming, the ozone layer, and deforestation are becoming increasingly discussed topics both in the international community and society. Former Vice-President Albert Gore stated in his 1992 book Earth in the Balance, â€Å"The process of filling the atmosphere with CO2 and other pollutants†¦is a willful expansion of our dysfunctional civilization into vulnerable parts of the world† (Wittwer 21). With statements like this, one might wonder what stops the human race from ending this kind of behavior. Scientists and politicians are paralyzed when addressing the issue of global warming largely from uncertainty of cause/effect relationships, closeness of potential policy making to the everyday individual, and distance of potential effects. What follows is a discussion of this problem, which you will see, is not as clear cut as Al Gore’s statement. Background; a general agreement: The World Book Encyclopedia Millennium Edition defines the Greenhouse Effect as â€Å"a warming of the lower atmosphere and surface of the planet by a complex process involving sunlight, gases, and particles in the atmosphere.† It further notes that the Greenhouse Effect existed long before humans did, for it added about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (~33 C) to the average global temperature (World Book 382-383). An additional increase to the Earth’s natural Greenhouse Effect has been called in general terms ‘global warming’. The World Book Encyclopedia states, â€Å"Since the late 1800’s, the average temperature has increased about 0.5 to 1.5 Fahrenheit degrees.† Attributing the increase in average temperature to the burning of fossil fuels ... ...per, Lee, Scott Murtishaw, Fridtjof Unander. â€Å"International Comparisons of Sectoral Carbon Dioxide Emissions Using a Cross-Country Decomposition Technique.† Energy Journal. 22.2 (2001): WilsonSelectPlus Number BBPI1045462, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003. â€Å"Effects Will Continue for a Century, Even if Emissions are Curbed Now.† USA Today. (June 2002) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG02101336, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003. Van Dam, Laura. â€Å"Of Seashells, Ancient Climate, and Fossil Fuels.† Technology Review. (May/June 1995) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG95041776, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003 . Wittwer, Slyvan Harold. â€Å"The Great Promise of the ‘Greenhouse Effect’.† Consumers’ Research Magazine. (June 1997) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG97047480, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003.

Project Report on Career Mangement Essay

In recent years, however,  career  now refers to changes or modifications in employment during the foreseeable future Career Management Career Management  is the combination of structured  planning  and the active  management  choice of one’s own professional  career. It includes 1. Development of overall goals and objectives, 2. Development of a strategy (a general means to accomplish the selected goals/objectives), 3. Development of the specific means (policies, rules, procedures and activities) to implement the strategy, and 4. To understand the career management process †¢ To find out the role of individual in career management ; how an individual make this process better. †¢ To know the organizational role I the process of career management Today with intense competition everywhere, coupled with economic changes, companies are aggressively pursuing the strategies for downsizing, outsourcing, and synergy through alliances. Pursuing strategies that result in loss of jobs is a distressing experience – both for those who get the axe and the people who are still with the company. It is in context of this corporate reality that career management assume more significance Methodology and Research Design The study attempts to understand the organization ; individual role in managing the career stages through which an average individual passes. The research methodology, which I have chosen, is deductive in which primary data collected by Questionnaire which is composed have close ended and open ended questions ; secondary data is collect by means of net ; libraries. The Career Management process The process begins with the goal setting then further stages making is shape. Goals/objectives Development The career management process begins with setting goals/objectives. A relatively specific goal must be formulated. This task may be quite difficult when the individual lacks knowledge of career opportunities and/or is not fully aware of their talents and abilities. However, the entire career management process is based on the †¢ Short term goals (one or two years) are usually much more specific and limited in scope. Short terms goals are, of course, are easier to formulate. †¢ Intermediate goals (3 to 5 years) tend to be less specific and more open ended than short term goals. Long term goals are the most fluid of all. Lack of life experience and knowledge about potential opportunities make the formulation of long term goals difficult. †¢ Making  career  choices and decisions †¢ Managing the organizational career – concerns the career management tasks of individuals within the  workplace, such as decision-making, life-stage transitions, dealing with stress etc. Taking control of one’s personal development – as employers take less responsibility, employees need to take control of their own development in order to maintain and enhance their employability. Stages of career management Career formation starts during school years and ends at the retirement age five career stages regardless of occupation can be identified as, The exploration stage This stage en ds for most individuals as they make transition from formal education programs to work. The grueling pressure and competition have left youngsters unprogrammed, exhausted, cynical, and chronically anxious about their future instead of being most optimistic and hopeful. Educational psychologists tell us that they are seeing record number of teenagers who are overwhelmed by the pressure and paralyzed by the tremendous number of choices available to them The establishment stage The period begins with the search for work and includes getting the first job, being accepted by your peers, learning the job, and gaining the first tangible evidence of success and failure in the â€Å"real world†. It begins with uncertainties and anxieties, feeling of excitement and fear and is, indeed, dominated by two problems: finding a â€Å"niche† and â€Å"making your mark† Although the specific causes of early career disappointments vary from person to person, some general causes have been identified. Studies of the early career problems of young managers typically find that those who experience frustrations are victims of â€Å"reality shock† (Ivancevich, 2004). These young managers perceive a mismatch between what they thought the organization was and what it actually is. Young professionals enter an organization with technical knowledge but often without an understanding of the organization’s demands and expectations one reason for this could be that the new recruits are not provided with realistic job preview during the recruiting process. A realistic job preview provides the prospective employee with pertinent information about the job without exaggeration. Organization role during this period could be in the area of socializing, orienting and mentoring of new recruits. When we talk about socializing, and developing employees, referring to a process of helping new employees adapt to their new organization, to get them to become fully productive, thus helping them to develop their self-efficacy level. However in this stage individuals have yet to reach their peak productivity. The organizations role here would be to provide an array of services, like career guidance and training . Training involves change of skills, knowledge, attitudes or behavior to help individuals to improve their ability to perform the job effectively and efficiently. Training thus helps them to reduce the stress that arises due to personal inadequacy. Mid- Career stage This is a period when individuals continue their performance, or level off, or begin to deteriorate. The mid level executive experiences certain pressures, Haider & Supriya 187 which is unique because of the position he occupies in the organization The growing managers display a high need for self-actualization. They seek opportunities enabling them to use their skills and knowledge to reach their creative potential. A study of Indian Industries by Nanjanath et. al. 1980) has found that, of all the factors contributing to managerial effectiveness, the individual qualities of the managers top the list. The third option for mid-career deals with the employee whose performance begins to deteriorate. This stage for this kind of employee is characterized by loss of both interest and productivity at work Loss of productivity and managerial effectiveness has been reported to be a function of personal and environmental factors. Organizational roles play an important part in increasing the individual’s effectiveness in an organization. Increased decision-making enhances the meaningfulness; employees find in work and provide them greater sense of autonomy, responsibility, certainty, control and ownership. Continued growth and high performance are not the only successful outcomes at this stage. Maintenance is another possible outcome of the mid-career stage. The organizational role here would be providing sensitivity training exercises, by getting survey feedback from employees to identify discrepancies if any, or simply moving them to another position in the organization. This can work to boost morale and productivity. Decline Stage The decline or late stage in one’s career is difficult for just about everyone, but, ironically, is probably hardest on those who have had continued successes in the earlier stages. After decades of continued achievements and high level of performance, the time has come for retirement. These individual step out of the limelight and relinquish a major component of their identity. Educational workshops and seminars and counseling sessions are an invaluable way to help the pre-retirement persons make the transition from work to retirement. Organizational efforts must include programs to facilitate pursuing careers financial planning, promotion of individual retirement programs and a comprehensive educational programs Back (1969) has suggested that the more the retirement is looked upon as a change to new status, the better the transition will be accomplished. Career management largely an individual’s responsibility If on one hand competition and cost economics are spreading insecurity in jobs and on the other hand competition and evolution of new industries which were nonexistent a couple of decades ago are opening a plethora of pportunities for the individuals to choose from. New opportunities and accompanying threats make the job markets extremely unpredictable. In such an uncertain environment, it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to decide and make choices to pursue a desired career. Personal ambitions coupled with emerging business trends are increasingly shaping the career choice of the pe ople. An organization can at best support an individual’s aspirations if in line with its business goals. With this view of careers in today’s environment, an individual needs to change the way jobs have traditionally been looked at. A job is not merely a means of earning money, it must be viewed by the individuals as an opportunity for learning, so that when you are doing a job to fulfill you responsibility for the company, you are also strengthening your skills required to develop your career. Career management thus is primarily an individual responsibility. It is a life long process for an individual, where he continuously learns about his purpose, personality, skills and interests. [pic] An individual must continuously review learning from his assignments and try to develop alternate perspectives of the job, which helps in enriching ones’ experience. Also a periodic relook at the job and the company along with the opportunities available outside will definitely help an individual in giving boost to his career advancement. Finally, one must take some time at some important milestones to assess his progress against the long term goals a review gives an opportunity for the individual to refine clarity on long term goals, which in turn will affect his further course of action. Following points will be of immense help for an individual: †¢ Taking a long term view of where one wants to be †¢ Accept short term trade offs for long term benefits (low pay offer or some lateral move, which are vital for career development and contact building) †¢ Judicious decision between specialized jobs and isolated jobs †¢ Building the right connections – both inside and outside the firm †¢ Assess oneself honestly †¢ Keep abreast of changes and capture first mover advantage †¢ Plan our exit (timing, convenience and dignity) [pic] Challenge for HR matching career aspirations with business needs Employee loyalty to the company is higher when the job fulfills intrinsic needs and personal goals of the employees. By assisting an individual in planning his career and providing opportunities for career development, an organization can ensure higher loyalty and productivity from employees. Challenge for HR professional is to match and support career expectation of performers with organizational requirements.