First Aid for a Bullet-Point Resume

First Aid for a Bullet-Point Resume First Aid for a Bullet-Point Resume How clear job targeting and a full reorganization afford a hospital director new opportunities in executive-level health care positions.Carla Fore, a registered nurse and hospital manager who holds an MBA and a master’s in organizational psychology, has always tended to her own resume over a 30-year career.“I have updated my resume every year and have always done it myself, since I also write,” Fore said. “But after a recent layoff in April, my CV seemed really piecemeal and patchwork. I had been told by recruiters that I was a classic case of ‘death by bullets.’ ”Fore said she was also concerned that her old resume made her look like she’d changed jobs incessantly, particularly at one hospital where she’d actually been given a host of interim director-level positions.“They kept bouncing me all over the place,” Fore said. “I was gaining a ton of management experience across almost every department in the hospital, but it looked like I was job-hopping every few months on my resume.”“Carla had a 100 percent bulleted resume over five pages,” said professionally certified resume writer Andrew Pearl, who works with Ladders. “It needed major reorganization as her resume went back to 1979… All those bullets had the effect of giving almost nothing any emphasis.“It’s like landing a plane on an airstrip at night,” Pearl said. “Having some separation between the lights allows for the runway to be seen more effectively.”Pearl used Fore’s old resume as the basis for the new one. Because Fore had been diligent about putting quantifiable numbers, percentages and results in her old resume, he didn’t need her to complete the worksheet he often uses to help clients fill in the blanks. But Pearl did not hesitate to reorganize, cut and refresh a new resume for Fore that played up her aspirations for a job in hospital management and administration.Multitasker vs. job-hopperSo how did Pearl address the perception that Fore couldn’t s tay in one job for long ? Better organization.“You have to assume that the people reading your resume have a short amount of time,” Pearl said. “So you link the responsibilities together under one company heading, give a short paragraph attached to each job title - with the most important results as the first few bullets - and keep it quick. And you emphasize the job target you are going after first.”In this case, it was for a lateral position as director of emergency services.“The job target is key,” Pearl said. “I always start with the target. In this case, Carla wanted to emphasize her management experience.”In addition, Pearl stressed how including a short paragraph under each company she worked for sets the context for showing results. “You want to succinctly give a general premise for the company: who you managed, how many people, why you were hired, what was the day-to-day environment,” Pearl said. “You are setting up a narrative that you then reinforc e in the results-centered bullets. It’s a one-two punch.”Fore has been tremendously pleased with the results. She received the new resume in late May and already had four interviews by the second week in June.What most impressed Fore about her new resume?“The Areas of Excellence, ” she said. “They took everything I had wanted to say and boom! - three lines near the top that summed it all up… And I was really happy with the language used, with words like ‘bolstered’ and ‘spearheaded’… The new CV is so much better.”Pearl said the Areas of Excellence section Fore likes so much helps break up the page visually, locks in some scannable keywords and plays on how people really read.“It’s like a newspaper with its organization,” Pearl said. “When you have something to latch on to while you are reading, you will go there.”“The thing is that I was initially targeting other director of emergency positions,” Fore said. “But after the new CV, I am getting recruited for positions two levels above director - positions like chief nursing officer and CEO. It’s something I’ve never, never seen before.”It doe sn’t hurt that Fore is willing to relocate from New Mexico to almost any warm state in the U.S., nor do her credentials, experience and tenacity.“A professor of mine once said something in a class, and I now take it as my personal philosophy,” Fore said. “‘Change is inevitable; struggle is optional.'”

Free Entry-Level Pest Control Resume Templates

Free Entry-Level Pest Control Resume Templates Free Entry-Level Pest Control Resume Templates An entry-level pest control resume puts the focus where it belongs: you and what you can offer. Its basic design shows that you are serious about starting your career. Study the sample provided to learn the ins and outs of mastering such an important document.Create ResumeEntry-Level Pest Control ResumeCustomize ResumeIndustry SnippetsBy reading through the entry-level pest control resume, you will gain insight on the best skills to include in your own resume. Also, you will have a clear direction. Entry-Level Resume Pros and ConsThis style is ideal for entry-level candidates. You can highlight your education, accomplishments, and hands-on experience acquired through internships, student work, or volunteer work. But, does this style fit your needs?Pros: This format is safe; its widely acceptedPros: Easy for employers to readCons: Format is not memorable whatsoeverCons: You cant inject your personality into itResume TextCharlesS. Dillon123 Street,City, ST, 12345 (123) 456-7890 (H) (1 23) 456-7890 (C) email@isp.comProfessional SummaryKnowledgeable Pest Control Technician with a background in treating residential and commercial properties. Highly-trained in integrated pest management with success in adopting new approaches to pest control through continuous professional development. Experienced in cockroach, termite, mosquito, bedbug, silverfish, beetle, pest ant, bee, wasp, and fly control.Skill HighlightsIntegrated Pest ManagementInsect ClassificationSite InspectionsCustomer EducationPersonal Protective EquipmentBusiness Development Education and CertificationUniversity of Florida 2014Undergraduate Certificate: Urban Pest Management Distance LearningCoursework in Principles of Entomology, Biology and Identification of Urban Pests, Principles of Urban Pest Management, Insect Classification, Urban Vertebrate Pest Management, and Insect Pest and Vector ManagementPest Control Operator CertificatePest Control Management TrainingEntomologyExplored theories and concept s underlying general household pest management.Learned insect classification by understanding general external and internal insect anatomy and physiology.Investigated impact of insects on man and environment, including adaptations to habitats.Pest Control and ManagementEvaluated inorganic insecticides and synergists, insecticide formulations, and insecticide modes of action.Studied urban insecticide application equipment, pest control laws and regulations, and pesticide safety.Examined urban insecticide application techniques, including baiting, structural fumigation, commodity fumigation, and termiticide applicationProfessional Experience9/1/2014 CurrentPest Control TechnicianBug-Be-Gone, LLC Durham, NCPerform onsite inspections and interview customers to assess urban and residential pest control needs; discuss scope of services provided and additional service options.Identify insects, pest harborage areas, and conducive conditions.Use high quality and environmentally responsible products to reduce, eliminate, and prevent infestations of unwanted pests; sell and upsell services to support pest control goals and drive business sales goals.Schedule appointments with customers for initial and follow up inspections, and coordinate with pest control team to ensure optimal customer satisfaction.Maintain accurate records and files of services provided, pest management approach, and equipment and supplies used.

The Blue-Collar Job Makes a Comeback

The Blue-Collar Job Makes a Comeback The Blue-Collar Job Makes a Comeback The Blue-Collar Job Makes a Comeback Would you trade a career in a cubicle for a job with a hammer and screwdriver? In the current economic downturn, some may consider making such a switch, if just to bring in money while they're unemployed. But others are rediscovering the value of blue collar jobs, such as skilled tradespeople, laborers, and machine operators. Blue-collar work never died; it merely lost its loftier status after the country's shift from a post-World War II industrial-based economy to the current knowledge-based economy. The increased emphasis on college education largely left blue-collar jobs to those who didn't attain college degrees. The current recession hasn't been very kind to the U.S. workforce, especially those without college degrees. Government statistics say the jobless rate for those without a college education is double that of workers with some college experience or associate degrees. The gap is even wider when compared with workers who have bachelors' or advanced degrees. But as many more Americans have opted to attend and graduate from college before seeking jobs in the knowledge-based economy, there is a question that has mostly gone unasked over the last 20 or 30 years: Who will do this work? According to Manpower, Inc., that question is tough to answer. A recent survey by the global human resources consultancy found that four of the 10 hardest-to-fill jobs in the U.S. are blue collar: skilled trades, laborers, technicians, and machinists/machine operators. So, while more parents have steered their kids toward college campuses, there's a dwindling pool of skilled people who can help build an addition to your house or fix a business's air-conditioning system. But, as this article from Fortune Magazine notes, that may be changing, especially as we move toward the development of green jobs. That shift can give people with those blue-collar skills a distinct advantage when someone needs to install solar panels or repair a hybrid vehicle's power train. As Heather Honea, a professor at San Diego State University, notes in the Fortune piece: The transition from blue collar jobs to green collar jobs will be far easier than going from white collar to green collar. If you're in a white-collar job, would you consider trading it in for blue-collar work, or maybe green? Share your views with us.

Why Hiring an ADHD Job Candidate is a Smart Business Strategy

Why Hiring an ADHD Job Candidate is a Smart Business Strategy Why Hiring an ADHD Job Candidate is a Smart Business Strategy ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is defined as “a chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity.” So, why is hiring someone with ADHD a smart strategy for your business? I explain the reasons why below. Early years When I was 10 years-old, I was diagnosed with dyslexia, and a motor-visual impairment that made it difficult for me to copy the lessons teachers would write on the blackboard into my notebook. My ADHD diagnosis would arrive twenty years later. To counter my dyslexia, my parents were advised to give me a portable typewriter, a Brother EP-44 with a futuristic two kilobytes of RAM. Yes, you read that right. Not gigabytes, not megabytes, but KILOBYTES. In other words, I could type exactly 2048 characters before the memory was full. But all technological limitations of 1982 aside, there was a much darker part of having to lug a seven-pound word processor with me wherever I went: I was immediately labeled as “different”. When you’re 10 years-old, being “different” is the kiss of death. Years of few friends, lots of bullying, and constant “I don’t want to go to school” arguments with my parents ended finally when I got into the famous LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts. And guess what, everyone there was different! Benefits of being different Do you know what came out of those years of hell? Superpowers. In addition to typing well over 100 words a minute as an adult, there was one huge benefit that I did not realize was being planted in my young brain at the time: I was learning to not only accept being different, but to use it to my advantage for the rest of my life. I can attribute the majority of my success, both personal and professional, to the fact that I’ve never been “normal.” By having teachers and initial employers who considered me “damaged,” I was able to outshine, outmaneuver, and outgun “normal” students and colleagues at every turn. When you’re different When you are different you learn to handle all sorts of things quicker, better, and more to your benefit than “normal” people. For example: You grasp concepts better You’re less likely to let fear prevent you from trying new things You fix mistakes quicker than others You learn to pivot faster and with less drama Most importantly... You learn to not give a damn about what other people think about you or your actions. We’re stronger than you could ever imagine While mild disabilities such as dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and OCD can be traumatic for kids, and even for adults if undiagnosed or untreated, if utilized correctly, the life-skills learned from coping with them can be a gift to the grown-up employee or entrepreneur. Those with some kind of learning disability have tremendous amounts in common with brilliant entrepreneurs and employees. We’ve had to “learn how to learn” in a different way. Much like a blind man who learns to “see” with his other senses, those with learning disabilities learn to “learn” in different ways. These different ways used to result in me getting in trouble in school for not arriving at the answer the “right” way. Now, they are exceptionally helpful in the entrepreneurial world, where sometimes you just need to get things done right now. And it doesn’t matter how. What makes hiring those with disabilities a smart strategy Those with disabilities have usually figured out the shortest way to get from point A to point B within five seconds of being given the task. We’re the most upfront and honest people you’ll ever meet. When I start working with someone, they know within five seconds that I’ve got ADHD, and I work “faster than normal.” I’m up-front about why I’m different. And I’m the first person to tell you that I am and why it’s a benefit. I do this, not because I believe I’m better than anyone else, but so that others understand how I work, why I work the way I do, and how it can be useful to both of us, as long as some simple guidelines are followed. If you want me to get something done Tell me what it is, give me a deadline, then leave me the hell alone. You’ll get it perfect the first time, definitely on time, and most of the time early. People with ADHD RARELY miss deadlines because we require them. For someone with ADD, ADHD, or most any kind of learning disorder, chaos is our worst enemy. Organization is our best friend. Once we learn that, a whole new world opens up for us. We can work in certain ways to guarantee that certain things get done when they should. We’re not rushed when we do it. The problem comes when we’re not given a deadline. In our world, “soon,” isn’t an actuality. Give me a deadline, and I guarantee you’ll have it in your hands before it’s due. It will probably be perfect. As long as we trust you to truly listen to us We’ll be the most honest people with whom you’ll ever work. Those with ADD/ADHD have one fear: That when we need to express ourselves, we’re not truly being listened to. This is a problem for multiple reasons, but the main one is that we need to feel like we’ve said what we had to say and were truly heard. This way we can file it as completed and move on. If we trust that you’ll truly hear us when we talk, we’ll never lie or withhold information from you, ever. ADHD is not a negative term We’ve been told that our disability is a negative so many times that we’ll work harder than anyone else. We want to prove the world wrong. The first time I sold a company in 2001, I was over the moon with happiness, not just because of the sale, but because it was a moment in my life where I was able to prove every single doubter wrong. I’ve used that fuel and that passion to start and sell three companies in total, as well as write two best-selling books. Because we’ve been put down so much, in the end, we truly want to succeed. And we want people around us to succeed, as well! At the end of the day We know what it’s like to fail. More importantly, we know what it’s like to be told that we’ll never succeed at anything. It’s exactly because of that, that we want to succeed, we will work harder than anyone else to get there. And if we’re working with you or for you, we will be your biggest cheerleader, as long as we know you have our backs. In the end, we love the rush we get from success and an ADHD employee or business leader will do almost anything to get it. That makes working with us a smart business strategy. If you are an employee or business leader with ADHD You will enjoy Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain, and the award-winning podcast containing interviews with tons of successful people with ADD and ADHD who share tips, secrets, and keys to using their gift as their biggest asset.

How to Sell Yourself During a Job Interview

How to Sell Yourself During a Job Interview How to Sell Yourself During a Job Interview What does it mean to perform well during an interview? Well, you’ll need to show that you have the right background and experience, as well as being a good match for the role and the company’s culture. Think of this as an amped-up, in-person version of the same work you did on the job application to obtain an interview. But youll need to do more than check off the boxes on your interviewers list - you want the person you speak with to feel excited about making an offer. That means selling yourself to interviewers, to make it clear that you’re a strong candidate. Sound overwhelming? Here’s how to get started. Carry Yourself With Confidence If you feel unsure about yourself during the interview, it’ll show. Do everything you can to outwardly project confidence when you meet with interviewers. What you say in response to questions is essential (more on that later) but how you say it, as well as your overall appearance and how you carry yourself, is also meaningful. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Mind Your Body Language Are you slumped in the chair? Fidgeting? Avoiding eye contact? These no-nos can make you appear unfocused, uninterested in the job, or unsure of yourself. Maintain good posture, make eye contact when you shake hands, and sit in a position that radiates engagement with the conversation. Here are body language tips to follow during your next interview. Watch Your Word Choices Nerves can make verbal tics even more prominent. Try to avoid saying um or like too much- and, curb any tendency you have to engage in up-talk- speaking with a rising tone at the end of each sentence. Uptalk is a speech pattern which can make you seem immature. Recording yourself practicing interview questions- or having a friend practice with you- can help you identify these habits. Choose an Industry and Interview-Appropriate Outfit There is no one answer for what to wear during an interview. Do wear something you’re comfortable in (if you have an itchy seam or keep tugging at a hemline, interviewers may notice) but also choose an outfit that’s suitable for the specific interview. What’s appropriate for an interview at a fashion magazine, tech start-up, and retail job differs. Practice Answers, but Make Sure to Develop Ones That Are Specific and Memorable It’s good to practice what you’ll say in response to common interview questions. Interviewers will expect you to be prepared. But just because the questions are common, doesn’t mean your answers should be! Remember: you want to sell yourself during the interview, and no one is eager to buy a humdrum product. Aim to be memorable, so your responses stick in the interviewer’s memory, even days after a conversation. As you practice your responses, keep these tips in mind: Be specific when you give an example. Don’t just say, “My work on that project saved the company money.” Tell interviewers how much money and what you did to save it. Avoid vague answers Tell a story as you relate something you have done or experienced. It’s easy to say you’re a team-playing, detail-oriented self-starter. These buzzwords come up in job listings, but it’s your job to translate them into stories about yourself. That proves you have the quality. So instead of saying “I’m a self-starter,” say, “When I came on board, there was a paper- and digital-based workflow for the monthly report. I researched, and removing the paper-based workflow resulted in 10 percent savings and also removed duplicate work. I presented my findings to the executive team, and we transitioned to a new, digital-only routine the following month. The staff was relieved, and we’re all happy to spare the environment.” Keep It brief in your replies but answer the direct question. Don’t ramble in your answers. It’s better to pause for a second to frame your thoughts than dive in and wind up babbling for minutes upon minutes. Be respectful of interviewers’ time, and pay attention to cues. (If interviewers seem bored, they probably are - wrap it up!). Following these strategies will help you avoid bland responses. Know What Interviewers Want In some ways, what interviewers want is obvious: a candidate who can do the job well, and fit in with the company. But this will vary across positions, industries, and companies. To gain insight into employer wants and needs, research the company and industry. If it’s been a while (say, since you wrote your cover letter) analyze the job description. Think always: What can I do for the company? Will you help them sell more widgets, resolve customer complaints faster, streamline the workflow, or make sure customers are happy? Figure out how you’ll be beneficial, then make sure it’s clear in your interview question response. Put Your Strengths on Display Interviews are not the time for modesty! Rather, it’s a moment when it’s appropriate to say “I did XYZ” or “My work helped do ABC.” Avoid saying “we” and make sure to mention your accomplishments. If this feels uncomfortably like bragging, consider framing accomplishments in terms of other peoples comments: My co-workers voted me best team player two years running.In my annual review, my manager was grateful for my organizational abilities. Follow these steps, and you’ll be sure to impress interviewers with your confidence and suitability for the position.

Top 5 Trends in Nanotechnology

Top 5 Trends in Nanotechnology Top 5 Trends in Nanotechnology For many, nanotechnology is viewed as merely a way to make stronger and lighter tennis rackets, baseball bats, hockey sticks, racing bikes, and other athletic equipment. But nanotechnology promises to do so much more. A more realistic view is that it will leave virtually no aspect of life untouched and is expected to be in widespread use by 2020. Mass applications are likely to have great impact particularly in industry, medicine, new computing systems, and sustainability. Here are some underlying trends to look for, many interconnected, and all expected to continue to accelerate. 1. Stronger Materials/Higher Strength Composites The next generation of graphene and carbon nanotube-based devices will lead to even lighter but stronger structures than has been made possible by carbon fiber and will become increasingly obvious in cars, bicycles, and sporting equipment, says Clint Landrock, chief technology officer of NanoTech Security. Dr. Samuel Brauer, founder Nanotech Plus, an alliance of consultants offering analysis and operational assistance about the business of nanotechnology, cites as one area of advancement the development of carbon nanotube pre-impregnated materials which offer better conduction, overcoming one of the major challenges of conventional carbon fiber/epoxy composites. He notes that carbon nanotube meshes have already flown on some space missions, for example, the Juno probe to Jupiter. 2. Scalability of Production One big challenge is how to produce nanomaterials that makes them affordable. According to Dr. Timothy Fisher, Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering, technologies that can impact grand challenge problems such as food, water, energy, and environment must be scalable. The main reason that these problems are so grand is that they are ubiquitous and therefore the related commercial markets have become commoditized. Very often, a technology that exploits a unique attribute of a nanomaterial can offer improvements in functional or engineering performance, but almost as often, these technologies require scarce materials (and therefore expensive) or slow or complicated manufacturing processes (and also expensive). That limited scalability often hinders application despite outstanding functional performance in the laboratory or prototype stage, he explains. 3. More Commercialization Over the next several years, significant advances are expected in carbon nanotube manufacturing technology, specifically in controlling the purity and structure, and in reducing costs due to economies of scale, according to David J. Arthur, CEO, SouthWest NanoTechnologies, a producer of carbon nanotubes. Advances will make the use of carbon nanotube materials even more compelling for mechanical engineers, he says. In addition to transforming the automotive, aerospace, and sporting goods fields, nanotechnology is facilitating so many diverse improvements: thinner, affordable, and more durable flat panel displays; improved armor materials to protect soldiers; sensors for medical testing; more humane and effective treatments for cancer patients; enhanced cathode materials for safer and longer life Li-ion batteries; and the list goes on. 4. Sustainability One main goal of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a U.S. government program coordinating communication and collaboration for nanotechnology activities, is to find nanotechnology solutions to sustainability. Mike Nelson, chief technology officer, NanoInk Inc., says nanomaterials and nanostructured surfaces are increasingly employed in many advanced energy storage and conversion projects, and nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing contribute to products that are more energy efficient in both production and use. Dr. Eric Majzoub, associate director, Center for Nanoscience, University of Missouri - St. Louis, says this is done by controlling thermodynamics of solid-solid reactions through nanoscale size reduction and it can improve energy-storage materials including batteries, supercapacitors and hydrogen storage. Nelson sees the greatest near-term impact in sustainability coming in the areas of transportation (more efficient and lighter materials for autos and aircraft, requiring less fuel) and in three other related areas: lighting, photovoltaics, and energy storage. The types of nano technologies being employed in all three of these are similar in terms of using nanostructured surfaces or materials to improve efficiencies from an electronic performance perspective whether its batteries or solar cells or LED lighting, he adds. 5. Nanomedicine Nowhere is the application of nanotechnology more exciting than in the biomedical field, where advances are being made in both diagnostics and treatment areas. Houston-based Nanospectra Biosciences has been developing a new therapy using a combination of gold nanoshells and lasers to destroy cancer tumors with heat. Based on work done by Rice University professors, Dr. Naomi Halas and Dr. Jennifer West, the technology promises to destroy tumors with minimal damage to adjacent healthy tissue. John Stroh, Nanospectra CEO, says he is hoping for European approval in the second or third quarter of this year and FDA approval early next year after 10 years of ongoing development and testing. In the diagnostics area, nanosensors that can detect, identify, and quantify biological substances in body fluids are leading to early disease detection and earlier treatments as well as the ability to detect environmental contaminants in the body. Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer. Advances will make the use of carbon nanotube materials even more compelling for mechanical engineers.David J. Arthur, CEO, SouthWest NanoTechnologies

How genius Claude Shannon attacked a problem

How genius Claude Shannon attacked a problem How genius Claude Shannon attacked a problem It took Claude Shannon about a decade to fully formulate his seminal theory of information.He first flirted with the idea of establishing a common foundation for the many information technologies of his day (like the telephone, the radio, and the television) in graduate school.It wasn’t until 1948, however, that he published  A Mathematical Theory of Communication.This wasn’t his only big contribution, though. As a student at MIT, at the humble age of 21, he published a thesis that many consider the most important master’s thesis of the century.To the average person, this may not mean much. He’s not exactly a household name. But if it wasn’t for Shannon’s work, what we think of as the modern computer may not exist. His influence is enormous not just in computer science, but also in physics and engineering.The word genius is thrown around casually, but there are very few people who actually deserve the moniker like Claude Shannon. He thought differently, and he thought pla yfully.One of the subtle causes behind what manifested as such genius, however, was the way he attacked problems. He didn’t just formulate a question and then look for answers, but he was methodological in developing a process to help him see beyond what was in sight.His problems were different from many of the problems we are likely to deal with, but the template and its reasoning can be generalized to some degree, and when it is, it may just help us think sharper, too. Shannon’s mind showed how best to do this by:  Building a core before filling the details  Harnessing restructuring and contrast Multiplying the essence of every inputAll problems have a shape and a form. To solve them, we have to first understand them.Build a Core Before Filling the DetailsThe importance of getting to an answer isn’t lost on any of us, but many of us do neglect how important it is to ask a question in such a way that an answer is actually available to us.We are quick to jump around from one d etail to another, hoping that they eventually connect, rather than focusing our energy on developing an intuition for what it is we are working with.This is where Shannon did the opposite. In fact, he did this to the point that many of the mathematicians he worked with thought that he wasn’t as rigorous as he could be in the steps he was taking to build a coherent picture. They, naturally, wanted the details.2Shannon’s reasoning, however, was that it isn’t until you eliminate the inessential from the problem you are working on that you can see the core that will guide you to an answer.In fact, often, when you get to such a core, you may not even recognize the problem anymore, which illustrates how important it is to get the bigger picture right before you go chasing after the details. Otherwise, you start by pointing yourself in the wrong direction.Details are important and useful. Many details are actually disproportionately important and useful relative to their representati on. But there are equally as many details that are useless.If you don’t find the core of a problem, you start off with all of the wrong details, which is then going to encourage you to add many more of the wrong kinds of details until you’re stuck.Starting by pruning away at what is unimportant is how you discipline yourself to see behind the fog created by the inessential. That’s when you’ll find the foundation you are looking for.Finding the true form of the problem is almost as important as the answer that comes after.Harness Restructuring and ContrastIn a speech given at Bell Labs in 1952 to his contemporaries, Shannon dived into how he primes his mind to think creatively when addressing things that are keeping him occupied.3Beyond simplifying and looking for the core, he suggests something else â€" something that may not seem to make a difference on the surface but is crucial for thinking differently.Frequently, when we have spent a lot of time thinking about a problem, we create a tunnel vision that rigidly directs us along a singular path. Logical thinking starts at one point, makes reasoned connections, and if done well, it always leads to the same place every time.Creative thinking is a little different. It, too, makes connections, but these connections are less logical and more serendipitous, allowing for what we think of as new thinking patterns.One of Shannon’s go-to tricks was to restructure and contrast the problem in as many different ways as possible. This could mean exaggerating it, minimizing it, changing the words of how it is stated, reframing the angle from where it is looked at, and inverting it.The point of this exercise is simply to get a more holistic look at what is actually going on.It’s easy for our brain to get stuck in mental loops, and the best way to break these mental loops is to change the reference point. We are not changing our intuitive understanding of the problem or the core we have identified, just how it is expressed.We could, for example, ask: What is the best way to solve this? But we could also ask: What is the worst way to solve this? Each contains knowledge, and we should dissect both.Just as a problem has forms, it also has many shapes. Different shapes hold different truths.Multiply the Essence of Every InputWhile it’s important to focus on the quality of ideas, it’s perhaps just as important to think about the quantity. Not just concerning total numbers but also how you get to those numbers.To solve a problem, you have to have a good idea. In turn, to have a good idea, it’s often the case that you have to first go through many bad ones. Even so, however, throwing anything and everything at the wall isn’t the way to do that. There is more to it than that.During the Second World War, Shannon met Alan Turing, another computer science pioneer. While Turing was in the US, they had tea almost every day. Over the years, they continued to keep in touch, and both men respected t he other’s thinking and enjoyed his company.When discussing what he thinks constitutes genius, Shannon used an analogy shared with him by Turing, from which he extrapolated a subtle observation. In his own words:“There are some people if you shoot one idea into the brain, you will get a half an idea out. There are other people who are beyond this point at which they produce two ideas for each idea sent in.”He humbly denied that he was in the latter category, instead putting people like Newton in there. But if we look beyond that, we can see what is at play. It’s not just about quantity.Every input has a particular essence at its core that communicates a truth that lies behind the surface. This truth is the foundation for many different solutions to many different problems.What Shannon is getting at, I suspect, is that generating good ideas is about getting good at multiplying the essence of every input. Bad ideas may be produced if you get the essence wrong, but the better y ou identify it, the more effectively you’ll be able to uncover insights.Doubling the output of your ideas is the first step, but capturing the essence is the difference.All You Need to KnowMuch of life â€" whether it’s in your work, or in your relationships, or as it relates to your well-being â€" comes down to identifying and attacking a problem so that you can move past it.Claude Shannon may have been a singular genius with a unique mind, but the process he used isn’t out of reach for any of us. His strength was in this process and its application.Here are three things we can steal from his playful approach to thinking:I.  Build a core before filling in the details. It’s easy to lose sight of how important it is to identify the form of a problem before you go looking for answers. If you don’t, then you get stuck with the wrong details. Adding the right details comes after you have stripped away the inessential. It comes from developing a keen intuition for the core that gives a problem its specific qualities.II.  Harness restructuring and contrast. After a while of working on something, we tend to get stuck in a mental loop, forming a tunnel vision in a single direction. At this point, the best thing you can do is change the reference point by restating, or inverting, or semantically changing the question. It’s a way of playing with the shape of a problem, and it provides a more holistic viewpoint, one that leads to new ways of thinking.III.  Multiply the essence of every input. Solutions to problems come from good ideas, and good ideas come from many ideas. But quantity alone isn’t enough â€" the right kind of quantity matters. The essence of every input contains a truth that can build out in many directions, and the right kind of quantity is born from getting good at identifying this essence.Good problem-solving is a product of both critical and creative thinking. The best way to combine them is to have some process in place that allows each to shine through.Thinking patterns shape our minds. The goal is to have the right thinking patterns doing so.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers at  Design Luck.This article was originally published on DesignLuck.com.