You will be appalled by how many germs your Fitbit has on it

You will be appalled by how many germs your Fitbit has on itYou will be appalled by how many germs your Fitbit has on itAccording to experts over at Tic Watches, your watch potentially houses three times the amount of bacteria found on a common toilet seat. The authors behind the study report, A quarter (24%) of us confess to never cleaning our watch and one in five clean their watch less than every six months (21%). If youre wearing one every day, you should try and give it a deep clean once a month. However, just putting a watch in water or giving it a quick wipe isnt the most effective way to remove bacteria.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreColony forming units (CFU)CFU, which stands for colony forming units, is a microbiology unit ofmeasurement designedto provide an estimation of the degree of viable bacteria or fungal cells on a given object. Germ colonies infect an abundanc e of everyday items, many of which are not often associated with filth. A recent study conducted back in 2017 titled, Microbiome analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges, revealed massive colonization by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Chryseobacterium species that are harmful to us, are rampant in kitchen sponges. So rampant in fact, the researchers recommend replacing your sponge as frequently as once a week. The newest study on the subject, honed in on watches, uncovering a similar trend. The researchers began by taking swab samples from 10 variations of watches and set their crosshairs on aerobic bacteria, mold, and yeast in particular.Plastic and leather band watches evidenced a much higher quantity of dirt and bacteria than metal watches did. One of the Fitbits examined for instance contained eight times the amount of bacteria found on a common toilet seat, flush and handle. To be clear, it welchesnt the material itself that governed the degree of germs, it had mo re to do with which kind of wearers were more or less likely to clean their timepieces regularly. Surprisingly enough, women were more likely than men to never clean their watches.The reports state that roughly 24% of men never clean their watches, compared to the 27% of women that said they never do so. Trailing directly behind the plastic Fitbit that contained 8.3 times the amount of bacteria found on a common toilet seat, was a Females watch with a leather strap (700 CFU) which was 5.8 times dirtier than a toilet.Germ invasionWe come into contact with a profusion of germ species every day, though not all of these are enemies to the philanthropisch body. The most common germ types are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Some of these are integral in the absorption of vital nutrients in the intestine, in addition to helping our bodies produce essential vitamins. There are literally trillions of friendly germ species hanging out in our gut, but its also important to remember to be mindful of the hazardous ones colonizing all around us.Watches arent the only everyday object generally filthier than a toilet. According to a paper written by researchers from the University of Arizona, the average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. A recent study of hotels, banks, restaurants, and airports revealed that elevator buttons have 40 times more germs than a toilet seat.Not long ago the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on the importance of maintaining a clean workspace after they suspected desk dirt was responsible for 100 cases of a nasty stomach virus going around in an elementary school in Washington D.C. Cleanliness is key.To avoid the promotion of CFU, Tic Watches recommends you make a habit out of cleaning and disinfecting your watch regularly, by removing the watch from the band, soaking both into a bowl of soapy water (or vinegar if you have a digital watch) scrubbing the dirt, giving the two a good ri nse then drying them thoroughly.

Allena Tapia - The Balance

Allena Tapia - The BalanceAllena Tapia - The Balance

Keeping calm under pressure according to a NASA flight director

Keeping calm under pressure according to a NASA flight directorKeeping calm under pressure according to a NASA flight directorAs far as high-pressure workplaces go, its tough to think of a stronger example than the flight department at NASA. Directing shuttle launches and managing flights from mission control dont leave much room for error, and NASA leaders need to keep a cool head and take every step possible to prevent snap decisions made out of stress.In a recent interview with Business Insider, NASA flight director Paul Hill explained his strategies for staying calm when his job stakes elevate, and his tactics can easily translate to other industries.1. Instead of letting emotions distract you, stay focused on the facts at hand.When a work situation becomes tense and difficult, its easy to let your personal feelings and the reactions of others involved influence the way you handle the issue. But according to Hill, the best way to power through an anxiety-inducing problem involves honing your attention into data and objective facts.During the 2001 launch of the Discovery shuttle from the International Space Station, one of Hills controllers realized that one of the shuttles cooling loops which keeps the spacecrafts temperature level and allows the computer systems within to function had malfunctioned. The flight crew needed to solve the problem in a short period of time, lest they risk a faulty launch and the potential loss of menschengerecht life. With such enormously-high stakes, the mission control team needed a clear and effective strategy to resolve the issue without the complications often prompted by stress. Luckily, NASA trains its employees on thought processes that remove nervousness from the equation.In the aforementioned instance, Hill encouraged his crew to turn their focus toward the data streaming in from the shuttles systems, believing that prioritizing unimpeachable facts would help everyone remain at attention. Everybody tends to become m ore focused and more calm as theyre working through the data, talking to each other, talking to the flight director on the voice loops, and making decisions, he explained. Ultimately, the NASA mission control crew successfully launched Discovery, largely thanks to their ability to keep working through tense circumstances.2. When thinking and talking through a stressful situation, make sure youre asking the right questions.On-the-job stress has an uncanny way of bringing up trains of thought that prove less than helpful. When this problem arises at NASA, leadership urges staffers to focus on a series of questions that get to the heart of the matter without superfluous and distracting tangents. As an old boss of mine said, That first indication that you have a crisis is probably notlage when you want to go and jump out the window, Hill told Business Insider, following with this piece of advice Get a little bit more information, we can always panic later.In the case of the Discovery l aunch, Hills list of questions included the followingWhat was everything they knew - and did not know - about the situation at hand?What did the data actually say about the situation at hand?What was the worst thing that could happen as a result of the situation?Keeping the discussion and the thought process impersonal and fact-based proved crucial to finding an expedient solution, and professionals in all fields can use this technique to reduce complications and discover a beneficial answer as quickly as possible.3. Dont assume that past successes will apply to future circumstances.When coaching his NASA team, Hill warns them against making decisions based on past outcomes. Where you get in trouble is some bad thing starts happening and you feel the urge to start taking action. You say, Hey, Ive been in this situation before. This is what we did the last three times. Its always worked so Im going to do it again, Hill claimed.Rather than blindly using a method youve tried before to solve a new problem, youll be better served by looking at the facts and nuances of the specific matter at hand and designing a new game plan tailored to the needs of this particular issue.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.

5 ways to take a work break and none include your phone

5 ways to take a work break and none include your phone5 ways to take a work break - and none include your phoneUntil recently, when I needed a break Id grab my phone. Whether I was bored, mentally fatigued, or just wanting a pick-me-up, I felt relief checking the news, Facebook, or Instagram.However, new research suggests there are good ways and not-so-good ways to spend our break time. While some breaks can leave us refreshed and reenergized, others tend to leave us depleted and drained.In their book The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World Dr. Gazzaley, a neuroscientist, and Dr. Rosen, a psychologist,explainthat good breaks can reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function, and keep us on-task for longer periods. But Gazzaley and Rosen forewarn that taking the wrong sort of breaks might make us mora susceptible to boredom and may actually backfire by making us want to take breaks more often.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech Worldtechnology may be decreasing the time associated with the onset of boredom when single tasking as a result of our ever-escalating exposure to pervasive, high-frequency feedbackIn other words, repeatedly checking our phones when we get a tad bored can train us to check more often throughout the day.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldFrom decades of research on learning and behavior, we know that the shorter the time between reinforcements (rewards), the stronger the drive to complete that behavior and gain the reward.The rapid rewards we get from skimming our newsfeeds alleviate boredom for a few moments, but they also teach our brains to seek out blips of joy the next time we feel a twinge of fatigue, Gazzaley and Rosen explain, the next time we are bored, our past experiences, having gained reinforcement from our smartphone, will drive us to self-interrupt.So by reaching for our phones when we want a break, we may be training ourselves to do it again and again. In order to r esist the onset of boredom and self-interruption at work, Gazzaley and Rosen suggest we avoid our smartphones and instead take breaks that restore the part of the brain we use to keep focused on our goals.Located right behind the forehead, the prefrontal cortex is considered the fruchtwein evolved portion of the human brain. Although it has many functions, goal management is its main business. The prefrontal cortex orchestrates attention, working memory, and other cognitive resources in order to help us get what we want.For example, if my goal is to cook dinner tonight, my prefrontal cortex will help coordinate my brain functions to guide me through the actions needed to complete the meal like navigating the grocery store, following a recipe, and cooking the meal, all while making sure I dont get sidetracked.When we work, our prefrontal cortex makes every effort to help us execute our goals. But for a challenging task that requires our sustained attention,research showsbriefly takin g our minds off the goal can renew and strengthen motivation later on. Doing activities that dont rely heavily on prefrontal cortex function but rely on different brain regions instead, is the best way to renew focus throughout the work day.1) Go naturalResearch shows that nature exposure is restorative for the mind. One study reported better working memory scores after a walk in a natural environment, but not in an urban environment.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldNatural environments capture our attention in a bottom-up fashion because natural stimuli are so inherently compelling to us (presumably owing to evolutionary factors). They draw us in but generate minimal prefrontal cortex responses.Work in a city? You dont have to go far to benefit from nature. Just noticing the sights and sounds of natural features around you can help you recharge.Find plants, fresh air, a fish tank, or a fountain. Sit down, take a deep breath, and notice the details of natur e. Point out as many as possibleThe left leaf is smaller, or Theres a bruise on the third petal, or Its off center in planter box, or I wonder how many bugs are on it?If you are stuck indoors, look at somepictures of natureinstead, asresearchshows they work too. Or try tuning into nature videos on your computer for a few minutes like atropical beachor amountain creek.2) Doodle and daydreamHaving a moment with nothing to do is rare these days. We dodge even the briefest moments of potential boredom with just a few swipes.However according to Gazzaley and Rosen, avoiding occasional periods of nothing to do downtime may have some unintended effects.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldThis leaves little time for reflection, deep thinking, or even just simply sitting back and letting our random thoughts drive us places we might not have gone while immersed in directed thinking.When we let ourminds wanderwithout focusing on a certain goal, the brains default mode ne twork takes over. Daydreaming and doodling tap into default mode network activity and may give some prefrontal cortex functions a rest.Sit alone, set an alarm for 10 minutes, take a deep breath and be patient. If you need a little help, try the websiteDo Nothing for 2 Minutesfor a quick session.You can also practice mind wandering in your daily life by keeping your phone in your pocket and letting your mind drift while you wait at a crosswalk, a train station, or in an elevator lobby.3) Exercise your eyesOur eyes bear the burden of our tech-charged lives. Fortunately, doing 202020 eye breaks is a straightforward way to alleviate eye strain and fatigue.Every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. Gazzaley and Rosen explain the reason why this is beneficial is that it requires blood flow to brain areas that are not related to sustained attention. The shift in blood flow across certain brain regions may be the reason why eye exercises are restorative.4) LaughLaugh ter packs a punch. It increases heart rate, respiration, and it gets our blood pumping as our upper body muscles are recruited into the action. Although evidence of long term benefits of laughter is debated, short term effects show some improvements on memory tests.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldOlder adults who watched a funny video scored better on memory tests and showed reduced cortisol and increased endorphins and dopamine, meaning less stress and more energy and positive feelings.Spontaneous crack-ups, and forced giggles fromlaughter yogaor cheesy jokes bygoogle assistant, all have the same perks.Listen to acomedy podcastor a stream acomedy radiostation. Read the comics section in the newspaper in the breakroom. Or keep afunny bookat the office to help you get through the next afternoon slump.5) ExerciseWe all know regular exercisebenefitsthe body and the brain. The good news is that even short bursts of exercise are helpful for cognition.Just 10 mi nutesof physical activity can boost attention and memory performance.Find a secluded space to do a7-minute workout, do some pushups or planks, or just take a brisk walk around the block. A little physical activity is agreat wayto rev-up your brain without breaking a sweat in your work clothes.The bottom line is breaks should make you feel better by providing a renewed sense of focus and concentration.As digital detoxes andtech-free zonesrise in popularity, we are beginning to value the benefits of removing technology every now and then. Taking better breaks can encourage creativity and increase focus by relieving the prefrontal cortex of some goal management duties for a while.FromThe Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldWhatever relaxes you and takes you away from your over stimulating technological environment will help you re-engage with greater arousal, more capacity for attention, and less susceptibility to being interruptedThe next time you need to take a break a t work, ignore your smartphone and skip the newsfeeds. Choose an activity that is restorative so you feel refreshed and more prepared to tackle the rest of your day.The gistTaking good breaks is important for your daily productivity.Breaks reduce fatigue, alleviate boredom, and can restore attention.Using tech during our breaks may backfire and make us more susceptible to boredom and want more breaks, more often.Restorative breaks can improve attention and refresh our focus.Break ideas based on research includeNature exposureDoodle and daydreamEye exercises?- ?20/20/20LaughBrief exerciseFor more insights on changing behavior,join my free newsletter and receive a free workbook.Nir Eyal is the author ofHooked How to Build Habit-Forming Productsand blogs about the psychology of products at NirAndFar.com. For more insights on using psychology to change customer behavior.

I used to be famous on Medium A cautionary tale

I used to be famous on Medium A cautionary taleI used to be famous on Medium A cautionary taleFor the longest time, I didnt erase them.80,000 notifications meant something. Each one offered me credibility and social proof. It offered fulfillment.Every time I logged in to Medium, I could look at that number and thinkOh, good. I am still somebody.This is what todays technology offers emotional satiation through numbers. Consider a species which has built systems so perfect the system itself becomes addictive.I doubt ur ancestors ever imagined such a thing.- - - It began, as most tragedies do, with hubrisI have conquered Medium, and now I will spread my greatness elsewherePrimarily, I wanted a claim over YouTube and an email list.I read these two platforms were good ways to monetization. I wanted money.(Already I should have seen the problem. The pursuit of success leads to money, not vice versa.)I have to learn to be a businessman.This was the lie I told myself.Ironically, I ignored the very statistics which Id used to buoy my ego2 million people reached through my work.Hundreds of thousands of shares.Published articles on CNBC and Inc and the Huffington Post.Connections to top writers of Medium.Speaking opportunities I never saw coming.Guess how many of those things happened through my business prowess?Underlying flaw 1 - Confidence without competenceWhite males are mora prone to this, I think. Thus, the plethora of white, 20-something self-help writers. But thats another post for another time.Success writing on Medium felt easy, but I hadnt considered my previous experiencesAt 8 years old, I was following my dad around as he wrote stories for our local newspaper. I watched how he took notes. I kept track of the questions she asked in interviews. I sat beside him as he wrote.At 13, I kept a steady journal, figuring out the rhythm of sentences and words. I began to feel the difference between a 3-word bullet versus a 176-word flowing paragraph versus a 10,000 word essay.At 16, an English teacher read my piece to everyone in the class. Afterwards, he told me I had the makings of a great writer and encouraged me to pursue. I did.At 19, I wrote another persons school papers for money. Okay, not for money. For love. (She married me, so there).At 2122, I wrote two full-length fiction novels 50,000+ words a piece. Nobody will ever read them, but I finally figured out what it took to write a book.Finally, at 25 years of age, I started writing on Medium. I didnt have a blog. I didnt have a website. I didnt have an email list. I wrote to the world. That is all I did for an entire year.Success on YouTube felt impossible, but I hadnt considered my previous experienceI watched other people make videos and thought they were cool.This was my only previous experience.Underlying flaw 2 - Expecting output without inputPlease dont laugh when I tell you this.I legitimately thought my results on Medium would continue to flourish even though I reduced my ou tput to less than 10% of what I had been doing earlier.Seriously.I am a staple of Mediums ecosystem, I thought. The algorithm will feed people my stories, and I will remain a celebrity.Meanwhile, Dave Schools, Tom Kuegler, Tiffany Sun and Anthony Moore put their heads down and wrote to my readers. They produced new, good work. Their stats soared.Mine plummeted.Go figure.Heres what I learnedYou can apply effort and not get the success.But success NEVER happens without effort.Underlying flaw 3 - The illusion of infinite timeWhile we are talking laughable conclusions, it seems practical to point a second one of mineI legitimately thought consistent production of quality videos could occur simultaneous to the consistent production of quality writing with no help.Most humans agree there are 24 hours in the day. Have you heard about this? In those 24 hours I wanted toResearchWriteEdit (words)Proofread (words)kalendertagPublishShareSyndicateand alsoPlanDesign SetPrepare GearFilmEdit (foot age)Proof (footage)TagPublishShareDid I mention I also had a full-time job? This includedMeetingsEmailsCommute (1 hour each way)DesignsProjectsCallsEditing (words)Editing (footage)Editing (online courses)Oh, and I am also a human, which meant I also am interested inSexTime with my wifeCleaning houseFamilySleepFood Do you see the problem yet?Underlying flaw 4 - Unable to express emotionDespite my blind pursuit of success elsewhere, I had at least stuck with my commitment to send one post per week to my email list.Yesterday, I got a response when I sent this postYou are quietly becoming the best writer I know.Unbelievable.If I am a better writer than anyone, it is for one of these reasonsMy emotions are more powerful than the average writerI have more practice expressing those emotions through languageWhen I think about my best friends crippling traumatic brain injury, I have the techniques to convey the details which accompany that event.I remember the rocks poking my toes through m y sandals when I got the text.I remember days plowing ahead while my world stood still.I remember wondering if he would die.As of this moment, I have not embedded the principles required to make you feel emotions via film. To attempt such story through that medium would be a far cry of Jacobs injury and hard-fought recovery.My core is writing. All else is secondary.Underlying flaw 5 - Unwilling to investLets be completely transparent for a moment writing IS more accessible than other careers.How dare you sir Writing is a holy path, wrought with emotional toil and - Yeah, yeah. I know. Writing is hard.But if you have a computer, youre in. Not only are you in, you can match the quality of your favorite writers with this single piece of equipment. The only missing ingredients are time and skill.Video is different. I found this out the first time I tried to outsource the recording of my show.Ryan, why is everything so perfect when you do this? I asked.And then Ryan went on to explain t he difference between crop sensors and full sensors. He told me how he set me up differently because it was a grey, cloudy day. He explained why we had two softbox lights on either side of me. He described why Camera 2 was over there. He pointed out the microphone quality coming from a tiny felt clip on my collar.I dont remember the details about the other stuff, but in case you were wondering, the difference between a crop sensor (on your iPhone) and a full sensor (DSLR) is about $1,000 dollars.And you cant make calls with a DSLR.Underlying flaw 6 - No networkIf I dont like how a sentence is worded, I know who to call.If I dont like my content arc, I know who to call.If I dont have any good ideas, I know who to call.This, in comparison to my learning video production all by myself.A life hack. Stop trying to do anything alone. Have the humility to ask for help. Begin today.Much love as always,- Todd BInfinite ideasIf I am elite in any area it is because of my ideas, both the qual ity and the quantity.I finally got my idea-generating process down in an ebook The Ultimate Guide to Infinite Ideas, which Im giving away for the price of an email address.Get your copy here.This article first appeared on Medium.

The 30-Second Trick for Best Font for Resume 2018

The 30-Second Trick for Best Font for Resume 2018 The Tried and True Method for Best Font for Resume 2018 in Step by Step Detail Legible fonts arent excessively light or bold and have little if any serifs on them. If you would like the very best font for resume 2019, here we are likely to bring you a few of the greatest and fruchtwein frequent fonts you may use. You will possibly include a number of fonts in a logo. As you can pair fonts of exactly the same type a serif with a different serif or two sans serifs you may also pair fonts of two styles. The initial one its a very good concept to change resume font to the absolute most popular one. The very best font pairs agree with one another. You are going to want to keep it to just a couple of fonts over the whole card. Make certain to use a good deal of size for those fonts here as well. In general, youre want to continue to keep your font use to just a few standard choices. Its also a great idea to ditch Comic Sans fon ts, colours, and other varieties which are only very likely to distract the recruiter. Picking the proper font, the appropriate format, and the right font size is equally as critical as the set of skills youre going to pitch to your possible employer. Choosing its a lazy selection. Therefore, if youre totenstill hesitant about which font family to use there isnt any need to fret about doing it. One of the absolute most important design choices you can create on your resume is your font. Your resume ought to have a consistent font size throughout the webpage. It has multiple weights that youre able to utilize to differentiate the many different sections and features of your resume, but you need to probably prevent the book and light weights, in addition to any condensed versions they can be difficult to read. There are numerous several things that youve got to take into consideration when selecting the proper font for your resume. When it has to do with deciding on a font to utilize in your cover letter, your best option is to keep it easy and professional. But this tried-and-true classic has changed into a standard and is undoubtedly a safe alternative. Inside this arena, the type you select should be something which is memorable and in accordance with your brand. Sans-serif fonts dont have the lines at the conclusion of each stroke. Sans serif styles are very common online and with digital publishing on account of the simplicity of readability that accompanies the very simple style. Finding Best Font for Resume 2018 on the Web Calibri makes everything appear clearer and adds personality to any sort of text. Okay, you can quit staring at your screen. There are many pretty fonts, but should you combine them lubberly the entire work wont be well worth any attention. Adjusting the font just one-tenth of a point can produce the text fill out the remainder of a page or stop it from spilling over into the subsequent one. However, if you stick to fo nt smaller than 14, you will be OK in just about any scenario. If you own a lot of experience, it might be an excellent alternative. When youre competing for a particular job or project, you want to earn the evaluation as simple as possible for them. Ive been writing resumes professionally for over a decade now and in that time that Ive seen expectations change a good deal. Review these formatting tips to make certain your letter is likely to make the ideal impression. Both font sorts are frequently used on CVs, largely since theyre simple to read. Arial is possibly the most popular option for CVs and its clear to see why. At the most fundamental level, you ought to be able to use your own judgment to determine readability. In the event the employer employs scanning software, the computer software might not be in a position to read your resume and that may damage your odds for an interview. Theres always a chance that the hiring manager will print out a duplicate of your resume after reading it on the monitor. Zetys resume templates are made with the aid of recruiters and adhere to the best practices in HR. When it has to do with writing resumes, considering the font is truly vital as depending on how your resume looks, it is going to attract attention or eventually deflect it from hiring managers and possible employers. The Unexpected Truth About Best Font for Resume 2018 When you begin writing your 2018 resume, you attempt to concentrate on the content to offer the most important and useful information for reader. Think of size as well if you intend to replicate your resume online. In case the text is too large, it appears like you most likely dont have sufficient qualifications to fill a single page. If it is too small, it becomes difficult to read.

Remote Work Resources For Employees And Employers

Remote Work Resources For Employees And Employers Looking for your first remote job, and wondering what you need to do differently? Check out these helpful remote work resources from Femgineer to help you with your transition remotework transition education resourceshttps//lnkd.in/ejuTC9E One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a const ruction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the wertmiger zuwachs of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-so lving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in lea dership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income kompetenzprofil/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to plek up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.