Experts Convene for Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing Conference

Experts Convene for Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing Conference Experts Convene for Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing Conference Experts Convene for Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing ConferenceThe three-day ASMEs Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing conference program explored the critical challenges and opportunities associated with shale exploration, development and production. ASMEs inaugural conference on Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing brought industry and academic thought leaders from around the world together in San Diego in March.In opening the three-day conference, Tim Graves, operations director for ASMEs International Petroleum Technology Institute, explained that ASME was well qualified to host the event, saying from fluid and fracturing dynamics to piping and pumping technology, mechanical engineers stand at the center of the hydraulic fracturing revolution. Several speakers pointed out that the industrys success in rec overing unconventional shale gas in the U.S. has come despite low efficiency. With prices now very low, they said efficiency must improve, and they outlined a broad range of technologies and practices to help accomplish that. So today, in the Marcellus, which is the best gas play in North America, economically, more than 50 percent of the wells are not making money at todays pricing, said Jeff Meisenhelder, vice president, Unconventional Resources, at Schlumberger, citing data from a 2014 study conducted by the consulting firm PCF Energy. I hope that is a little shocking to you guys. It was certainly a little shocking to me. Jeff Meisenhelder Meisenhelder presented data showing the same story for the Bakken Field. So, why is that? Well, Im going to argue that the reason for that is half the wells are either drilled in the wrong place laterally, landed in the wrong place vertically, or were completed inefficiently. Solutions, Meisenhelder said, lie in speeding drilling and recovery through good project and supply-side management, an integrated approach to appraisal, data-driven decision making, and technological advances made possible from materie science, computer engineering and computer modeling. One example he cited is the use of computers to design drills, eliminating the need for test rigs. Other themes that emerged during the conference are the need to use interdisciplinary approaches to better understand the geology of drill sites, and the importance of better use of technology across all stages of the process. When you talk about maximizing unconventional asset value, the most critical thing is to have a complete understanding of the reservoir, said Ruston Mody, vice president of Technology, Completions and Production at Baker Hughes. And you have to be smart and be effective in terms of using modern technology. Rustom Mody Mody cited several examples of new technology drill bits that combine different types of cutting element s a rotary, steerable drilling system that permits better navigation and placement of the well bore while delivering smoother surfaces plugs using nano-materials that dissolve after use imaging technology to better plan stage spacing and sensors and fiber-optic systems that permit real-time, micro-seismic measurements. Meisenhelder described how new technology can drive better processes Five years ago we couldnt in a practical, software system that runs on a laptop, model the interaction between a hydraulic fracture and a plane of weakness in the rock or a natural fracture. Now we have tools so that we can take the DFM, the Discrete Fracture Network, from our geologists and plug it directly into our fracture simulator and we can actually run that whole process in two or three hours. Environmental concerns and efforts to lower costs and improve performance merged in several presentations on methods to reduce or eliminate the use of fresh water in hydraulic fracturing. Satya Gupt a, global business development director, Production Enhancement Technology, for Baker Hughes, reviewed systems that use filtration, reclamation, sea water, production water with additives, fluids that can be recycled, energized treatments and foams, alcohol, hydrocarbons and liquid CO2. Not all of discussion centered on proven techniques. Jeremy Dockter, co-founder and managing director at Expansion Energy, described a pre-commercial process using liquefied natural gas as a fracking fluid. Mark Zoback Mark Zoback, prof of geophysics at Stanford University, spoke of the importance of decreasing the risk of earthquakes by avoiding the injection of waste water near known faults. This is a problem we understand and we know what to do about it, Zoback said, calling on the industry to be pro-active. Several speakers addressed global opportunities for hydraulic fracturing. Melissa kampfstark, managing director of Accentures Energy Industry Group, described factors that influence shale development in nine countries. She said that Argentina is moving fastest. But she said that development trends in Argentina, as well as Poland, Russia and Saudi Arabia, will be very dependent on the energy and fiscal policies of their governments. In China, Stark said there needs to be significant investment in technology, to drill in rock that is very different from shale in the U.S. In the U.K., as in much of Western Europe, a big factor impeding development, Stark pointed out, is the opposition of many non-governmental organizations. In both Australia and Mexico, she said there is significant competition from conventional oil, making shale development a lower priority. Melissa Stark Stark described other factors impacting shale development overseas availability of data, land access, infrastructure, and the skill level of local workforces. In terms of overall timing, this is still a very long play, closer to 10 years probably than five years, for this to really get going outside the U.S., Stark said. People have to be patient. There are going to be failures. And a lot of things need to be in place in all the markets. The Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing conference was part of the ASME Energy Forum, a multi-media series that explores technical aspects of a broad range of energy sources and related technologies. Plans for a follow-up conference in Texas in March 2015 are underway. Roger Torda, ASME Public Information

ASME in the Headlines

ASME in the Headlines ASME in the Headlines ASME in the HeadlinesEarlier this month, several news outlets - including The Press Sentinel in Georgia, The Oracle Online in Arkansas, and Guams Kuam News website (pictured left) - published the article Observations From the Field Changes in Mechanical Engineering, which featured information provided by ASME regarding the dramatic changes taking place in the engineering profession.According to the story, Engineers aged 55 to 60 are retiring, taking vital knowledge with them. The young engineers who will replace them are focused on specialization, branching off into sub-disciplines and job-hopping. Additionally, theres a rising trend among companies to try out 20-somethings in work-study positions. Companies test these younger engineers part-time to binnensee how well they perform - reestablishing de facto apprenticeship programs as an important avenue into the profession.The article also featured quotes from Karen Ohland, se nior vice president of ASMEs Knowledge and Community Sector and Jen Jewers Bowlin, vice president of Leadership and Recognition in ASMEs Student and Early Career Sector. Read the full article here. Another ASME-related article, published on the Precision Manufacturing website (right), took a look at the standardization process, including the role ASME standardization committees play in the procedure. According to the story, titled Best Practices A Practical Look at ASME Standards Manufacturing Practices, the American National Standards Institute does not create standards. Instead, the institute designates Accredited Standards Developers (ASDs). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an ASD and is responsible for many of the ANSI standards in use in precision manufacturing, the article continues. ASME committees develop standardized specifications and testing procedures that have many benefits for both the equipment manufacturer and the equipment user. For manufacturers, standardized tests for specifications are less expensive than is performing a multitude of user-defined tests. The entire article is available here.To read other stories about ASME and its members, visit the ASME in the Headlines section of ASME.org, at ASME in the Headlines.

7 Quick Tips to Clean and Purge Your Office

7 Quick Tips to Clean and Purge Your Office7 Quick Tips to Clean and Purge Your OfficeFrom cleaning the kitchen to clearing a path in the playroom, working mothers are always organizingsomething. However, our offices are our private spaces. Here, we can become relaxed and disorganized. Its a space that wont end up with a trail of goldfish crackers on the rug or small toys stuck under the seat cushions. So why keep it clean? Your career is impacted by clutterAnd decluttering it isnt as hard as you think it is.Purge and clean your office in small steps over five days so it doesnt feel overwhelming.Heres how to do it. Purge, Sort, and Clear Your Space Grab a trash barrel and recycling bin and start purging.This is the best parteThe goal is to purge yourself of this mess to make room for many good things to come.Place things that need to be kept in a box or a corner of your office.Be mindful if the paperwork in the recycle bin needs to be shredded or not. To help keep things organize minimize personal effects in your office because they are something you need to keep clean, too. At the end, your desk or work area should be clear.Do a quick wipe and dust and then get back into your work. Find a Home for Everything At your next scheduled time to clean your office, you need to find a home for all of your stuff. To avoid future clutter everything in your office needs to have a home.After you use an item there is this great spot that you will look forward to putting it away.Clutter happens when things do not have a home.The best time to find a home for things is when your space is ?clear and bare.Youll have a great eye for what your space is capable of holding. Develop a Filing System Now its time to tackle that pile of paperwork you put in that box in the corner. If your filing system consists of tossing memos or mail in a pile on your desk, you need to organize your office.Start by picking up folders from the supply cabinet. Organize themby subject matter, date or document type in a file cabinet.Every time a piece of paper comes across your desk, either throw it out or file it. Force yourself to get up from your desk or open your drawer and file every paper in its proper place. Clean Out Your Collection of Business Cards Did you find a slew of business cards when you cleared your workspace or papers with phone numbers scribbled on them?Grab your phone and search for a new app.There are many apps out there that can scan a business card and transfer the information to your smartphone, such as Evernote or ScanBizCards. Set aside some time, depending on how many cards you need to scan, to be sure all data is safely transferred before recycling your cards.Going forward every time you get a new contact or business card, scan it. Organize the Documents in Your Computer You need to be able to find information for your boss or client in a timely fashion. Organization of computer files is as important as paper files. Whether you work o n spreadsheets, in Microsoft Word or on other programs, organize computer documents according to date, subject or category.Before you start moving documents write out an organizational hierarchy that would work for your paperwork that would make your work life easier.Then start moving documents as you go. After you go through your documents dont let it go to waste.Be sure to backup files on an external hard or flash drive to avoid losing work if your computer system crashes. Update Paperwork Regularly When your file cabinet drawer is sostuffed you cant close it, its time to reduce your paper clutter by discarding outdated documents.Schedule a specific time each week to take stock of your paperwork.Avoid tossing entire files. Instead, only get rid of outdated material, such as files for clients who havent used your services in two years.Condense larger files, and keep only the most necessary up-to-date items. Organize Your Office Weekly A cluttered office is a path to an inef ficient work life.Reserve 15 minutes after lunchto organize things. File necessary paperwork, scan business cards, organize computer files and spreadsheets, and put items back in their home. Once you have de-cluttered your personal space at work youre going to feel incredibly energized.Youll feel lighter and this positive energy will pass on to others.Avoid reverting back to your old style by making weekly clean-ups a habit.Your office will start to be so organized that those 15 minutes you have aschedule to clean up you can use to do yoga or meditate to help clean up your mindSee?Good things happen when you purge and clean.?

Which Service Wins When it Comes to Scoring the Job of Your Dreams SimplyHired vs. ZipRecruiter

Which Service Wins When it Comes to Scoring the Job of Your Dreams SimplyHired vs. ZipRecruiterWhich Service Wins When it Comes to Scoring the Job of Your Dreams SimplyHired vs. ZipRecruiterWhen it comes to searching for a new, or any, job or career its definitely a dog-eat-dog world for tauglichkeit candidates. Job-seekers will spend hours pouring over classifieds, networking with friends and making cold calls or sending out digital and physical resumes to recruiters, hiring managers and beyond. Thankfully, modern advances in technology have yielded serious improvements on this process. With the use of the internet, qualified candidates can now peruse thousands of job listings in their target area and desired field, all with the click of a mouse or stroke of a few keyboard keys. While this has huge advantages over past job search practices, its also lumineszenzdiode to the rise of multiple aggregator services and online job boards, each claiming to be better than the last. Are you a candidate or company looking to compare sites such as Simply Hired and ZipRecruiter? If so, weve got the lowdown on the pros and cons of both and recommendations on which service you should be using in your quest to come out on top in the job search market.Tried and True ReputationWhen you apply for a new position the prospective employer is typically going to ask for job references with the idea being that if previous employers liked your work and speak well of your professionalism theres a good shot youll perform well in the current role. Additionally, experience and how long youve been in your current field are also huge pluses that help you stand out from other candidates applying for the same role. It only makes sense, then, that staying power and a strong reputation through user reviews would be important qualities to look for in an online job board.SimplyHired is no spring chicken when it comes to the internet job board market. Back in 2003 when both the internet and social interaction were still budding concepts, SimplyHired hit the ground with a simple concept connect job seekers with those in need of quality candidates to help make landing a job easier and filling roles faster. With nearly 15 years of experience in the field, its no wonder that candidates trust simplyhired with their careers. ZipRecruiter was founded in 2010, making the service a relative newcomer to the job aggregation market. ZipRecruiter has definitely benefitted from other, older and more experienced companies testing out what works and what doesnt when it comes to internet job boards, but its that real-world experience in overcoming common obstacles that makes for truly sophisticated and functional platforms for users of all levels.Go Where the People (And Jobs) AreWith reputation and experience also comes a wealth of job listings. Building on its longstanding platform, Simplyhired.com has amassed millions of active and relevant job listings, making it one of the most efficient sites on the internet for finding all applicable and timely openings for potential job seekers. While ZipRecruiter has a hefty portfolio of its own, Simplyhired wins the race for sheer numbers in this category. Both recruiters and candidates know that the place to be is a marketplace that connects the highest amount of applicants with those in need of qualified talent.Get the Lowdown on the Salary GameIn addition to reputation and quantity of job listings, job seekers and recruiters alike need real, hard data when it comes to salary expectations. Simplyhired recognized this need and heeds the call with one of the internets most comprehensive salary calculators. Breaking down salary ranges across both industries, specific positions and regions, simplyhired allows job seekers to ensure their salary requirements wont price them out of an otherwise attractive position and helps hiring managers keep their fingers on the pulse of the job market to ensure they have access to the best qual ity talent. Ziprecruiter is a functional service but lacking in the salary department, which means that both sides of the job search equation miss out on this valuable data.The ZipRecruiter vs SimplyHired Bottom LinePlayers in the job market have many options when it comes to looking for and listing open positions. In an increasingly busy and efficient modern world, it only makes sense that each side meet up on the platform that provides the greatest results and return for their time expenditure. In the categories above, SimplyHired wins out over ZipRecruiter for which is the best job search board.

Possible Warning Signs on Small Business Owner Resume You Should Know About

Possible Warning Signs on Small Business Owner Resume You Should Know About Employers wish to truly feel confident they are your very first selection, so have them know youre prepared to leave freelancing behind and join the corporate world once more. The catering staff has to be responsive to the customers needs, flexible, and first and foremost, professional. Interested individuals need to have a mixture of formal education and practical training suited to the type of geschftliches miteinander they need to operate. Owners also must deal with any disciplinary actions of certain employees. Dont forget, small small business owners returning to the workplace cannot hide their preceding small business ownership. Entrepreneurs and business owners frequently have a challenging time because the prospective employer is going to be concerned they are too independent to come back to employment, often over qualified, and they also may worry that the entrepreneur is merely passing time until the following excellent small business prospect. Not every business proprietor is an excellent salesperson, and successful companies grow to the point at which the operator cannot close every sale, or even every huge sale. Initially, many small business owners are accountable for providing all or a lot of the customer service duties. Whether youre a company owner, operations manager, or just a serial entrepreneur, if youre searching for a job you will need a resume. You might think you dont have any demand for a resume as a self-employed small business operator, but this isnt always true. Other duties the owner of a small company performs include portraying their product to the perfect audience through the invention of associate campaign. Writing a resume for an owner of a company is hard. The Most Popular Small Business Owner Resume Nearly every facet of everyday life is influenced in some manner, for example, way we communicate and how we network. If you are worried about your age then you are able to leave off graduation dates. If your resume is not correctly crafted, your chances of receiving an interview are dramatically reduced. Knowing which resume style is best for you solely is dependent on what youre trying to do. What You Need to Do About Small Business Owner Resume Starting in the Next Ten Minutes Bigger companies utilize applicant tracking systems to deal with the myriad resumes they take in daily. Industry needs can fluctuate, but all businesses have certain essential requirements. Youre able to use marketing research to spot trends and prospective markets for your merchandise. A disruptive company or innovation is one which has the capacity to completely kollege a business or field. With all the changes happening in the economy today, small small business owners want to spell out how they can adapt to changes within the business. One of the significant equalizers for smaller businesses is that commerce continues to evol ve and grow on the world wide web. You must have a point of view on where the marketplace and your business is going. 1 approach to monetize your company is to delegate. Companies wish to understand specific ways which you can improve sales and profits within the business enterprise. Most businesses exist to earn money, after all. Typically, small businesses have to be in operation for many years until they show a very clear profit. Most small businesses need start-up capital to become established and grow their goods and services. The best method to entice new clients is to provide competitive rates, regular specials, and the very best service around. Franchise holders are usually required to spend a huge amount of money in their operation. The salary of business proprietors generally count on the range of sales together with the profit gained. Sometimes your team members are likely to interact with your clients, or work on products or services which are going facing your cu stomers. Success in a little business is dependent on knowing what the customer wants and making the item or service easily available at a sensible price tag. However good your products or services is, you require marketing and sales to drive business. When something is a game changer, that usually means its something which can significantly alter a business or company.

Kids, Work and Resume Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen

Kids, Work and Resume Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen Resume Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen If your resume does its job, you will be getting a call for a work interview. Locating a job is among the most stressful activities one can go through in life near a divorce or loss of a relative. You also receive a completely free job interview tracker for a bonus. Also, it is going to help you get ready for the true interview with the possible employer. The Argument About Resume Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen Every day a growing number of people become cheated by writing businesses that provide low-quality services. The resume writers are usually contracted remote employees dispersed throughout the nation and might even do the job internationally. Naturally, it can be not possible to create such a short resume. Writing a resume isnt a simple endeavour, and as stated by the feedback from our current community, its really beneficial to check professional resume examples before s tarting to compose your own. For example, if one of the very first things a work ad stresses is managing a team, then any experience youve got in that area ought to take the very best bullet. Unless youre a graphic designer looking for employment, theres no need to over think the plan of your one-pager. Your resume may wind up looking quite nice and you may be genuinely contented by it. As youre going about your everyday business I would like you to clench your fist. You can have a great presentation but in the event the grammar isnt right then youll have failed to impress the hiring manager. It is possible to also leave work off of your resume entirely. A lot of people dont like their present job or career. The Ultimate Resume Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen Trick First you have to determine which industry you want to work in and which ort would earn a very good fit. Various jobs require various levels. Resumes have a tendency to be industry specific. All About Resu me Writing Services 45 Day Guarteen For instance, remember to include keywords from the work description in your resume. Its hard for a writing service to guarantee you a job as there are many variables that will impact the last selection. Make sure you think of a crystal clear summary that provides the reader a concept of who you are and what you have to give. The summary also has to be one that captures the interest of the reader. Naturally, you would like to earn a good one. An attractive, minimal and user-friendly template which you can edit based on your abilities and experience. Functional resumes mean to highlight your precise abilities and accomplishments that have been demonstrated through specific work related achievements. There are lots of standard forms of resumes used to make an application for job openings.

10 Tips to Help Remote Workers Avoid Burnout

10 Tips to Help Remote Workers Avoid Burnout10 Tips to Help Remote Workers Avoid Burnout These days, many people are able to work from a variety of locations, thanks to the Internet. More and mora companies are allowing their employees to become remote workers . These employees are bedrngnis chained to a desk in the same old office every day, and they are able to work from pretty much anywhere in the world , as long as they have an Internet connection.But, just because you can work remotely, it doesnt mean that you cant end up suffering from erschpfung . This can happen to anyone, no matter what job they are doing and where they are working from. So, if you are a remote worker , read on to learn 10 tips on how to help you to avoid burnout.Even though you have a lot more freedom as a remote worker , you do still need to have a schedule and daily routine. Find the hours that you do your best work, and create your schedule around those hours. Be koranvers to inclu de everything you would normally do in the run of a day, including spending time with your family and taking time for yourself. Sure, there are sometimes going to be upsets in your schedule, but it is going to work for the most part. Once you create your schedule, you will know the times when you are available to take calls from your clients, employer, etc. Make sure that they are fully aware of the hours that you are available, and that you set boundaries to make sure that they dont call you outside of these hours. You need to do the same with friends and family. Make sure that they know not to call you during the hours that you will be working. Just because you are a remote worker and your schedule is more flexible, it doesnt mean that you can start slacking off. You need to set deadlines , and make sure that you meet those deadlines. If you are unable to do this, your employer may start to have second thoughts about letting you be a remote worker, and then you will be stuck ba ck in the office again. When you make promises about deadlines, be sure to keep those promises. Just because you are not in the office, it doesnt mean that you shouldnt continue to communicate with your employer and your team regularly . Everyone needs to always been in the loop about what is going on, where you are at with a project, etc. When you work remotely, it tends to be more difficult to communicate with others, as they are not able to simply walk to your desk when they need to talk to you. Make sure that you are always reaching out. Since you have the ability to set your own schedule and work from anywhere, you are free to travel. It is a good idea to get one of the various small business travel credit cards , especially if you are going to be traveling for business or working while you are on the road. That way, you will never end up stuck with no cash and unable to pay for a meal, cab fares, etc. Look for a card that offers rewards points that you can use on future bu siness trips. It is all too easy to get comfortable on the couch while you are working, and the next thing you know, you havent moved for several hours. Get into the habit of taking regular stretching breaks . If you are taking calls, get up and walk around while you are talking. Not only is this going to be a great benefit for your health, it is also going to give you energy to move on to the next task, and you will have a lot more focus. If you are going to be working remotely, it is important that you have good tech to work with. If you are working with an older laptop, you might want to consider upgrading to get the latest features and apps. If your laptop is still in good condition, someone else will want it. Sell laptop online and use that money to put towards a new laptop. It is easy to do, and everyone benefits. It happens all the time. You get into what you are doing, and all of the sudden, it is several hours later, and you havent had anything to eat or drink. It is imp ortant to stay well-hydrated at all times, and you also need to fuel your body with healthy foods. Make sure that you have a glass of water or something else to drink with you at all times, and take regular breaks so you can have snacks, lunch, etc. When you dont get the fuel your body needs, you arent going to have the energy to work. Now that you are able to set a more flexible schedule, you can get out there and actually start enjoying life more. For instance, if you want to be able to spend time with the kids when they get home from school, you can easily work this into your schedule. Or, you might want to spend a couple of hours each afternoon at the gym. When you work remotely, you can schedule your time so you get to do a lot more. One of the worst things that can happen to a remote worker is that they often end up shutting themselves off from the outside world. After all, a remote worker doesnt ever have to leave their home, and it doesnt take long before they have become a hermit. Take time each day for to be with others. Go out for a walk with a friend. Call someone on the phone. Reach out so you dont end up burning out from the lack of human interaction.

Work Hacks 5 Free Digital Resources to Help You Get Ahead

Work Hacks 5 Free Digital Resources to Help You Get AheadWork Hacks 5 Free Digital Resources to Help You Get AheadUtilize these five innovative resources among the dozens posted daily on ProductHunt.com to help you work smarter, not harder. It seems as if there are a gazillion new apps, websites and general resources popping up online every day. While your average, hard-working professional might not have the time to sift through the never-ending flow of new product releases, the good people at Product Hunt have helped crowdsource this dilemma. New products are ranked daily by its community, with curated lists of the best new products for __, many of which are free tools designed to save you time and effort in your hectic work schedule. A concept wed likely all upvote.We all know just how valuable a new app or tool can be in making our lives more productive. Its also extremely satisfying to know about something none of your competitors have heard of In fact, swapout competitors wit h any other noun and this logic likley holds.Here are five resources that we invite you to try out. If youre in need of salary and career insights, weve also got you covered.Stay up-to-date on tech trends with Product Hunt collections. Every day the Product Hunt team discovers new, free tools, organizing their selections into collections. Each collection features products relevant to a specific work theme for example, free resources for startups.You can browse though collections and products, and bookmark your favorites using your very own Pocket via their site. That way you wont forget the tools most useful to you.Sign up to Product Hunts Daily Digest so you never miss a post or freebie. Join in on the lively discussions, or even submit your own suggestions for tools that youve found. Dont miss out on reading the recommendations and reviews that can help you find your new favorite virtual tool faster Write lightning-fast emails with Gorgias. You spend so much time responding to ema ils that anything capable of simplifying this repetitive task could instantly add hours to your workday. Discover Gorgias, an extension plug-in for your Chrome browser. To respond to an email, simply choose from a library of standard responses you can build using a simple template.Though the personal version is free, the real power is in the premium team version. You can standardize approved responses with your team in order to achieve a smooth and consistent tone throughout emails. Find and design free, beautiful photos with Stock Up and Canva.Trying to find that perfect stock image to accompany an article or presentation can take hours. There are too many sites and photos - to navigate through without a plan of action. Stock Up can be your go-to stock photo resource. Think of Stock Up as the Google of royalty-free images the search tool shows you images for any theme taken from more than 21 different stock photo sites.While were on the subject of images, graphics and design, che ck out Canva. The site allows anyone to quickly create original designs, as well as alter photos. Automate tedious documents and forms with Free Invoice Generator and Docracy.Forget about agonizing over another template in Microsoft Word. Create your invoice instantly online and download it as a PDF with this Free Invoice Generator.You can also check out the vast collection of legal documents and contracts at Docracy. The site allows you to electronically sign documents on-site to make them legally valid. Stay focused and tune out distractions with Noisli and Coffitivity.Create a curtain of soothing soundtracks to cancel out irritating sounds with the help of the web-based and mobile app Noisli. Create your very own mixing deck and select from a range of themes, such as flowing water, forest birdsong, etc. Or, if you work better against a backdrop of coffee shop sounds, try one from hauptstadt von frankreich or Brazil at Coffitivity. You can even go one step further and temporarily block websites that distract you with Cold Turkey.Check out these five resources to get you started. And dont forget to browse through Product Hunt regularly new products are released, reviewed and voted on every day

The uncomfortable secret to finding your dream job

The uncomfortable secret to finding your dream jobThe uncomfortable secret to finding your dream jobTheres a phenomenon that happens in the beginning of biopics, a moment when, as a child, the soon-to-be famous protagonist hits a ball out of the local ballpark, sings a note she should not be able to sing, or launches an elaborately built rocket using too-sophisticated-for-her-age quantum physics.You see this in real life too, in live interviews and in magazine profiles successful person X explaining that she always knew she would do successful thing Y, that it was what she loved forever, that it shone in her face one day like a magic destiny sunbeam.When success happens like this, its beautiful and life-affirming, which is why we enjoy these stories as much as we do. The idea of a predetermined path gives us a sense of safety and security in a world that often feels random and senseless, a world in which us weirdos often feel lost.But much as meant to be love stories about the one fi ll us with unrealistic expectations about what marriage and finding a partner are supposed to look like, finding your career path doesnt always happen this way, and imagining that it will or should can leave you feeling anxious or paralyzed, wanting to crawl into a ball and hide under the bed. It can make you feel like you shouldnt even try.But I want you to try. I want you to get out from under the bed of fear and start living, so lets cut to the chase its highly unlikely that a career-path lightning bolt will hit you one day and give you road-to-success superpowers.Sometimes your career identity unfolds over years, the path twisting and turning as you learn more about both yourself and the working world. Sometimes, after decades doing something else, your brain cracks open, and you know you do not want to be a dental assistant anymore and instead need to become the worlds greatest cartoonist. And sometimes finding what you should do with your life starts simply with having the cou rage to try something else.None of this will be easy. All of it will require sacrifices that may at first feel unintuitive and even crazy. Especially if where you want to land is far from where you currently are. Especially if you are about to enter the business of reinvention.Ultimately, the process for finding the vocation I wanted and would excel at wasnt soft or calm. It wasnt worksheets or matching my personality type against a series of careers to see what lined up. Those things never turned up writer or editor instead they made me seem like a sociopath. And finding my calling wasnt even about being pragmatic and making lists of what I was good at and what interested me, what sounded compelling or fun.How I found the color of my particular parachute was by force, by taking a hard and honest look at my sadness and insecurity, what made me the most pissed off and envious, the things that I wanted to be so badly that I seethed.Follow your bad feelings and let them lead you to the BIG DREAM of what it is you want to do now. Because behind your anger and jealousy is passion, and even further behind it is fear, and these very strong feelings are what youre going to need to be fortwhrend and unrelenting and succeed at and love what you do.Is there a person in your life who makes you secretly feel TREMENDOUSLY jealous? Is there a job that makes you ANGRY?Now listen with more intention, because probably what youre actually hearing is I wish that were me. And instead of wasting all this time being jealous, sad, or pissed, you should channel that energy into transforming your life.Roll around in the world, examine what you like and what you dont, study what comes naturally to you and what doesnt. Follow your bad feelings to their origin. Lift up the rock of your envy of that girl who makes textiles/writes graphic novels/builds buildings/takes pictures. Expose yourself. Get to a place where you are vulnerable and open.In this journey of exploration, there may come a moment when what you want to do will slap you in the face, when doing this thing and imagining yourself doing this thing will feel so special as to almost be illicit, and when thinking about getting paid just for doing this thing will nearly kill you with happiness.When someone else is doing what you want to do, you will blaze with jealousy. It will burn and burn and burn inside you.Actually doing what you want to do will make you feel so afraid your body will shake, and you will want to throw up. Whether your career dream is special or broad, creative or medical or political or technical, gaining access to this dream will feel exhilarating.This is how you know youve found it.This article is adapted from Weird In A World Thats Not A Career Guide For Misfits, F*ckups, And Failuresby Jennifer Romolini. It is reprinted with permission from HarperBusiness, a teilen of HarperCollins Publishers.