Important Criminal Justice Skills That Employers Value

Important Criminal Justice Skills That Employers ValueImportant Criminal Justice Skills That Employers ValueTechnically, criminal justice is a broad category for enforcing the law. Many attorneys are considered part of the criminal justice industry, as well as local law enforcement and federal agencies, such as the FBI and the CIA. As the world becomes a smaller place through world trade organizations and peace efforts through the United Nations, enforcing local, national, and international law is becoming more challenging. Remember, skills vary by job, so be sure to review these skills lists for a variety of different occupations. Once youve highlighted the skills acquired during your studies, internships, and prior jobs, youll be ready toinclude the appropriate skillsin your cover letters, resume, and job applications. What Are Criminal Justice Skills? Once again, criminal justice incorporates all that is understanding and enforcing the law. Often, we associate criminal justice with an academic field of study, such as a bachelors or masters degree in criminal justice. Often, criminal justice skills can be transferrable between two different roles/jobs in law enforcement. A criminal justice major could qualify you for an array of law enforcement roles, including a police officer, park ranger, paralegal, and forensics expert. Some criminal justice jobs, such as forensics, are more specialized than others. While some roles, such as fish and game warden or detective, are more physical. No matter which role you choose, there are a number of skills any employer will look for in someone with a criminal justice degree. Types of Criminal Justice Skills Applying Ethical Standards to Criminal Justice Issues Criminal justice professionals are on the front lines of maintaining and upholding the basic ethical standards of society. Across a number of related fields- from policing to park rangering- legal as well as moral ethics are paramount for success. A crimi nal justice professional should not just be well-versed in the details of the law but should also understand and embody the spirit of ethics. Basically, a criminal justice professional should have a sense of right versus wrong, even when those ethics are tested by difficult people or situations. If you select this vocation, theres a good chance youll end up in a position of power that demands public trust. Maintaining scrupulous ethics will help you model standards throughout your department or office, and help you influence positive outcomes and consequences whatever your chosen field. Accessing Resources with Crime DataAdapting to Changing CircumstancesPolicyAnalyzing Societal and Economic Factors Contributing to CrimeEthicsAssessing Models for Correctional FacilitiesComplianceAdherence to Safety StandardsProblem Sensitivity Writing A big part of most criminal justice careers involves writing. Therefore, strongwritten communication skillsare essential. For example, you may ne ed to create reports to get approval for a warrant. Or, you may need to keep key records of policy papers or create proposals for funding. In most cases, a well-written report could mean the difference between convicting a known felonor umgebung them free. All too often, cases are often lost (or go un-tried) because of poorly written arrest reports. Whether its to apprehend a criminal, demonstrate research findings, or convey any pertinent idea, a criminal justice professional must be able to communicate, in writing, the details of the issue at hand. Composing ReportsWriting Essays Supporting Criminal Justice PerspectivesWriting Research Papers on Criminal Justice TopicsCritical ThinkingProducing Presentation Slides Research A criminal justice expert should have strong proficiency in research, along with preparing research findings for sharing with colleagues and supervisors. This research could include the ability to access resources with crime data, assess models, and create charts and graphs. One also needs to be able to utilize data visualization software, interpret social science research data, and create presentations. You might be asked to analyze public policy and its impact on criminal justice. You also might be called upon to study and analyze the impact of reforms on criminal justice systems or to see how previous changes to policy has impacted crime. Either way, your research skills will be vital to your success. Case StudiesReading ComprehensionMemoryLegal Codes ProceduresInductive ReasoningDeductive ReasoningInvestigationBuilding ArgumentsAttention to DetailInterrogationInterviewing WitnessesNote TakingObservationDeveloping Hypotheses for Criminal Justice Research Computer Criminology and related jobs are becoming increasingly complex as techniques and systems evolve. Simultaneously, the field of cybercrime has opened up a world of more specialized demands within criminal justice, such as cybersecurity investigation/prosecution. Both c ybersecurity roles and more traditional criminal justice roles need computer skillsto solve problems. Microsoft Office SuiteCrime DatabasesAutomated Finger Print Identification SystemsCrime Mapping SoftwareInternet Search More Criminal Justice Skills CollaborationComposing Criminal Justice Case AnalysesCreating Charts and GraphsEmploying Data Visualization SoftwareDebatingDecision MakingEvaluating the Efforts of Organizations to Control CrimeEvaluating the Validity and Reliability of Criminal Justice Research StudiesFacilitating Group DiscussionInterpreting Social Science Research DataLeadershipFirearms ProficiencyNon-lethal Weapons ProficiencyManaging StressMultitaskingOrganizationPhysical ConditioningProject PlanningPrioritizing TasksProblem Solving QuantitativeResearching Legal PrecedentsResearch Techniques for Criminal JusticeSAS and SPSS Software ProficiencyStatistical AnalysisTeamworkTime Management How to Make Your Skills Stand Out Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume Each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description for every position youre applying for carefully and focus on the skills listed by that employer.Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter Often, law enforcement agencies care about why you feel strongly about enforcing the law. It can be helpful to provide a brief explanation about what event(s) in your life cause you to want to pursue a career in criminal justice.Use Skill Words in Your Job Interview You should also consider providing examples of how youve demonstrated these skills toward measurable success in prior work. And dont be shy about using these words in your interview and be prepared to share examples of how youve exemplified each skill you mention.

The Biggest Resume Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The Biggest Resume Writing Mistakes to AvoidThe Biggest Resume Writing Mistakes to AvoidWhen preparing a resume and cover letter to score the job of your dreams, what you have to say is important, but so ishowyou say it. No matter how perfect your pedigree or impressive your experience, making mistakes on your resume can undermine your job search efforts. Its essential to avoid the biggest resume writing mistakes. Review the top three resume writing mistakes to avoid, courtesy ofGrammarly, an automated proofreading company. Vague, Repetitive Writing Which of these two example texts appeals to you more? I have an MBA from Duke University. My sales team has performed really well. I have worked for two Fortune 500 companies since graduation.After graduating from Duke University, I put my MBA to work at Ingles Markets, a Fortune 500 company. I lead my sales team at Lowes, Inc. to increase revenue by nine percent last year in the third quarter. The differences between Example A and Ex ample B areincreased specificityandvaried sentence structure. They offer the saatkorn general information about our hypothetical candidates qualifications, but the second example goes into detail about work experience and achievements. Being able toput an exact numberon the increased revenue is much more impressive than a vague statement. Although you might not have been able to put your finger on it, the other reason the first example seems lackluster is that every sentence uses the same basic structure. Use a variety of sentence structures and lengths to give your resume more appeal. Why? Because a simple sentence, which consists of a subject and then a predicate, can be very effective and direct, but using only one type of sentence can make your reader lose interest. Aim to incorporate a variety of sentences- simple, compound, complex, and complex-compound- into your writing to keep it feeling fresh and lively. Passive Voice No one wants to be thought of as passive, and yet p assive voice often shows up in business writing. Passive voice performs a switcheroo on the subject and predicate of a sentence, as in, The customer service campaign was overseen by the regional vice president of sales. In that example, the rolle doing the action (the VP of sales) comes at the end of the sentence. It would be much clearer to rewrite the sentence as The regional vice present of sales oversaw the customer service campaign. Use this active voice whenever possible. As theWriting Center at UNC-Chapel Hillexplains Use of the passive voice is not a grammatical error. Its a stylistic issue that pertains to clarity- that is, there are times when using the passive voice can prevent a reader from understanding what you mean. Write with as much clarity as possible. The last thing you want to do in a resume or cover letter is to make your potential employer work harder than necessary to understand what you mean. Passive voice also communicates a certain, well,passivitythat wont help you get your foot in the door. Take charge, own your actions and experience, and always write in the active voice. Boring Verbs Grammarly has covered the importance of action verbs in resumes before, but it bears repeating here. Boring verbs send the wrong message to recruiters and using them wont help you make a great first impression. Job seekers want to be seen as active, motivated employees, so why are so many resumes filled with the same old lifeless verbs? Some of the usual suspects include WorkedDidWasSpentManaged As Career Expert Jessica Holbrook Hernandez says, Instead of using phrases like served as, duties included, promoted to, worked withchoosestrong action verbs. Action verbs do just what they say they convey action and, ultimately, results. For each of your job duties, brainstorm a list of specific, exciting words to describe what you accomplished. If you get stuck, check out thisthesaurus for new ideas. Remember, the way you present your resume and cover let ter demonstrates not only your ability to communicate clearly and effectively but also shows the level of care and attention to detail that you take with any task. Employers are always looking for careful, detail-oriented people so make a sharp first impression by avoiding the common writing mistakes. Tips Avoiding the mistakes presented here will go a long way to getting your cover letter and resume noticed, but there are a few additional mistakes youll want to avoid. For example, you dont want to have spelling errors. But misspelled words can be easily missed so use a service such as Grammarly or ask a friend or colleague to proofread your cover letter and resume.Keep in mind there are some things that shouldnt be included in your resume. Dont list your personal information, such as religious or political affiliation. Theres no need to list your hobbies either. Stick to information thats relevant to your career journey and job hunting.Be sure to include information on your skill s et. Its important to describe the skills you have and how theyre the perfect match for the job you want. Think about your thought processes, administrative skills, communication and people skills, and more. Feel stuck? Take a look at these skills lists for resumes for inspiration.

A Successful Recipe for Setting Business Goals

A Successful Recipe for Setting Business GoalsA Successful Recipe for Setting Business GoalsFreelance copywriters, graphic designers, and new ad agencies need a plan of action. As a freelancer, you are your business. As an agency, youre just like any other company out there. Everyone needs a plan of action. So, whats your strategy? There are as many models out there to follow as there are reasons to have one in place. A freelancer may want a structured model to follow for success in a competitive marketplace. An agency could use a plan to gain money to fund the business venture along the way. While all plans of action vary in content, they can follow a basic format. Use these key ingredients to create a plan thats right for you 1 Cover Page Just like when you were in school, create a cover page. Your personenname or company name, address, phone number and chief executives name (if youre starting an agency) should be on this page. In this day and age, a lot of people put their Ema il and Web site addresses on the cover page as well. 2 Table of Contents Think of your plan as a small book. You want to include sections and page numbers for easy access to your content. Your table of contents should identify all of these sections and their appropriate page numbers. 3 Executive Summary This is, by far, the heart of your plan. The executive summary is practically a mini-business plan. For example, if you showed your executive summary to an investor, bank or even your neighbor, they should know what your plan of action is all about by the end of your executive summary.This section shouldnt be more than two pages long and is usually the hardest part to write (just like a creative brief). 4 Company/Personal Bio Where have you (or your company) been and where you are going? Provide a history (if applicable) and identify your long-term goals.If your company is a start-up, use this section to identify market trends and how your company can capitalize on these needs. Youll also want to define your companys status as well, such as what stage you are in. 5 Identify The Market If you dont help fulfill a specific market need, then how are you going to make a profit? If youve tested your services in the field, use your results of that test here.You can also describe your target market and what other consumers you would like to market your company to, if any. If youve already started to market your service, these efforts need to be listed here as well.Its also a good idea to acknowledge your competition here. Whats the best way to take advantage of the differences between you and your competitors? 6 Outline Your Services Everything there is to know about your services should be in this section. Prices, warranties, how your services are different, etc. 7 Have a Sales and aufsteigen Strategy How are you going to sell your services? All aspects of your marketing plan should be clearly spelled out. Are you planning on outsourcing work? Will you hire your own staff in-house?Any type of marketing plan you intend on launching is vital to this section. 8 Add Detailed Financial Information This entire section is in regard to your past finances. Its a must for agencies and can be helpful for freelancers to put their financial outlook in order. This section should include how much youve made, your profit outlook for the future, etc. A lot of people use graphics to illustrate their financial background and projections.You must also include your balance sheets, cash flow projections and profit and loss statements. If youre using this plan to approach investors, dont be creative. Leave all of the sections in order as this is the standard method used to evaluate a business and its potential.If you plan on using your plan of action to achieve personal goals, by all means, have fun with it. Be creative and see where your plan of action can take you.

How to Tell Your Boss Youre Quitting 10 Tips to Leave Without Drama

How to Tell Your Boss Youre Quitting 10 Tips to Leave Without DramaHow to Tell Your Boss Youre Quitting 10 Tips to Leave Without DramaThere are many ways you can tell your anfhrer youre quitting your current job. You may be thinking about dancing your way out of the door, baking a resignation cake, or even shutting down Trumps twitter account.However, going out with a bang rarely pays off. What about leavingwith grace and professionalism instead?Its just too easy to cut off the branch youre sitting on. But if you quit the right way, you have a great chance to end up with a strong network that will support you in your future.Theres no doubt everyone wants this process to be as painless and smooth as possible. You must be well prepared to react in a suitable way to anything that the conversation might bring.Table of Contents1. Prepare the scene2. Express gratitude3. Remember the reasons why youre leaving4. Dont disclose too much5. Avoid burning bridges and venting6. Show that youre wil ling to help with the transition7. Determine the date of your last day8. Dont breach any confidentiality and non-compete agreements9. Be prepared for every scenario10. Your last days at work1. Prepare the sceneFirst of all, set up a meeting to deliver the news in person. Rather than talking to your babo at an inconvenient moment, you want to talk one-on-one and without distractions.As far as the meeting goes, you have a lot of control over the situation. Its you who should lead the conversation, not your boss. Also, remind yourself that quitting is a natural part of the working world. Youre not the first and not the last guy whos ever quit. And no matter how irreplaceable you think you are - your boss is aya to find a replacement soon. Keeping these things in mind will help you create some distance between you and your job, making the conversation just a little easier.2. Express gratitudeEven if youre really angry and unhappy, theres always something good you can say about your job .Think about things youre grateful for. There might not be many, but each of them counts. So always remember to keep things positive and pepper the conversation with expressions of gratitudeabflug out by expressing your gratitude for the opportunity to learn new skills and grow in your current ort. Say how grateful you are for the inspiration and support youve got from your employer. Emphasize how much youve learned from his expertise. Your boss will appreciate your recognition of how hes influenced your life and career in a meaningful way.Express thanks for the chance to work with your colleagues. Make sure to give credit to specific members of your team youve enjoyed working with.READ MORE5 Signs You Should Quit Your Job Right Now (Or Soon?)3. Remember the reasons why youre leavingNow that you filled your conversation with appreciation, its time to change the tone and say that you need to move on.Once youve already made up your mind, stop thinking about all the reasons to stay.Bef ore entering the managers office, remind yourself of your motivation for looking for a new job in the first place. Why made you make this move? welches it a higher-level position, more meaningful work, shorter commute, higher salary or better work-life balance?Make it clear that your quitting is a result of your dreams and aspirations. Naturally, you want your boss to see you are quitting to chase your goals rather than running away out of frustration.Regardless of the motivation you had for making a change, youre going to feel great once the conversation is over. Keeping this feeling in mind will help you stay calm, positive and energized rather than losing control over the situation.4. Dont disclose too muchTheres one advice for talking about your future prospects - be honest, but brief. Your employer is not entitled to know where or why youre moving on. Theres no reason to leak details of your new companys awesome perks or how much more youll be making.Whichever way the conversa tion goes, its particularly important that you dont feel guilty about moving on or feel like you need to over-explain. In this way, you wont feel under pressure to reveal everything about your next move.You can also speak in general terms and allude to your new job in a general wayI have several possible options, and Im taking a few weeks off to recharge before I make the final decision.I cant be public about it just yet, but its a managing position at a startup where Ill be responsible for creative social media campaigns.5. Avoid burning bridges and ventingAlthough you may have complained about a thousand different things while working at your company, you need to leave these things behind. Keep any negative feelings to yourself. Building bridges takes time, but you can burn them in a flick of a moment. Dont destroy your connections and valuable friendships. It would be the dumbest thing to do when quitting. Remember that nobody fired you. It was your call to leave for a better opp ortunity. So even if its your boss that is the reason why youre leaving, dont make it personal. Maintain your composure and keep emotions in check. This will help you remember your final day as the day of firm handshakes and perhaps even a few hugs.Similarly to your first interview, the last conversation with your employer should leave him with a good impression rather than embarrassing memories. You never know when your paths cross again, especially if you intend to stay in the same industry or city. And also the more professional your farewell turns out to be, the easier it will be to get a decent reference from your former boss later on.If you feel your boss is open to criticism and youd like to give some feedback, do so face-to-face and in a constructive manner. Instead of bringing up any negative reasons, focus on the positive aspects of your new positionWorking more independently and supervising others is the next logical step in my career advancement.6. Show that youre willin g to help with the transitionIts best to quit in a way that will ensure a smooth transition and minimise disruption to your employer. Still, you may unintentionally leave the company in dire straits and your employers business can suffer due to a void in expertise and experience. There are many things you can do to ease the situation. Prepare clear documentation of your work, complete your ongoing projects and tell your boss that youll keep your eyes peeled for potential candidates.Its very likely that the company will need your guidance and expertise to train your successor. Your boss may also ask you whether they can reach out to you in the future with questions. So if you happen to be leaving on amicable terms, consider making yourself available in the weeks or months to come. On the other hand, you need to set some boundaries up front. That way you will save yourself from being continually bombarded with endless phone calls and emails as youre trying to move on to the next thing .7. Determine the date of your last dayThe traditional amount of notice is 2 weeks. But this can also depend on the type of contract, your position or the current projects youre responsible for. Alternatively, a situation may arise when you may be unable to provide the required notice. If that happens, ask your employer politely if there is any way you could end employment sooner.All in all, you and your boss should agree on an official termination date that will be your last day of employment. Any accrued compensation or benefits will be calculated as of that date.8. Dont breach any confidentiality and non-compete agreementsLook at your contract carefully. It may contain a confidentiality (non-disclosure) agreement with your employer.The document serves to protect any type of information that the employer deems valuable. And the violation of its terms by sharing your employers confidential and proprietary information could easily put you in legal hot water.Last but not least, make sure youre not under the obligation of a non-compete agreement that could prevent you from breaking free from your current employer and starting your own business. However, if thats the case, review the terms and conditions carefully and consult an attorney to determine your next steps. 9. Be prepared for every scenarioAfter youve said your piece, its time to wait for your boss to respond. However, there are about a million different ways how he can react.He can ask you to leave immediately, stay a bit longer than you expected or make you reconsider your decision by offering a considerable pay rise.The best way to deal with this uncertainty is to prepare for every possibility. Consider the following outcomesLeaving now scenario. Chances are your employer will ask you to pack up your things right away and cut off electronic access to any documents you worked with. Be also prepared to say farewell to your company-owned equipment and turn in things like a company car, phone, laptop, pa ger or tablet immediately after expressing your intentions.Staying longer scenario. Even if youre already thinking of your next job, it might still be feasible for you to stay a couple of weeks longer than you originally intended. Be smart and consider asking your employer for a positive reference or recommendation letter in return.No quitting scenario. What to do when your boss wants you to stay? If youre still undecided, ask for some time so that you can sleep on it. Stay rational and weigh all the pros and cons. If it makes sense to stay, do so. But bear in mind that even if you decide to stay on board, your attempt to quit is very likely to affect your relationship with your boss in the future.10. Your last days at workCongratulations Youve made it through the meeting. But remember that you should follow up with an official resignation letter soon after.Furthermore, try to be as helpful as possible during your last few weeks. Hand over your projects to your colleagues and help t hem pick up right where you left off.Then, before leaving the office for the last time, send an email to all your colleagues. Make sure to include a sincere invitation to stay in touch via LinkedIn or your personal email address. This will help you keep your bridges intact even after you quit.Dont be afraid to tell your boss youre quittingTalking to your boss can often be quite difficult, especially when it comes to quitting. But believe me - once its done, youll feel a huge surge of relief and happiness.It will mean that you once again reclaimed control over your career and decided to carve your own path. And thats what people call freedom, I supposeReady to take the next step? Check out our ultimate guide on how to write a killer resume or create your own in our onlineresume builder right awayShare Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

The Debate Over Word Resume Templates Free

The Debate Over Word Resume Templates Free The Word Resume Templates Free Game The reason can help you concentrate on the type of family members data you mean to gather. So, yet another time... tell us what you believe The previous one would be an additional stressful thing when you havent any knowledge about it. The majority of people can get everything they require by utilizing a will vorlage, with minimal cost or hassle. The user will distitel a template fit for any kind of meeting Conference Invitation online. Utilizing Legal Templates There are a selection of legal templates that it is possible to use that permit you to swiftly create professional legal documents of many types. If have a business proposal that you want to create and you would like it to seem professional, consider employing a template from Creative Market. Theres a sizable selection of MS Access templates out there in Office online and other similar websites which make developing a database simpler and quicker for the user. Everything is meticulously organized, enabling you to attain that expert look even when you have limited design experience. Whatever might be the literaturform of the invitation card which you plan to design, you may make easy, fun, and attractive designs with the assistance of MS office templates. Before long you are going to have a design thats guaranteed to entice readers and get folks to learn more. Making your own business card template from scratch utilizing Word is a good way to go through the joy of extreme frustration. There is plenty of banner templates out there in many formats including in word. There are many kinds of banner templates out there in ms word that are downloadable free of charge. The term business banner template is helpful for advertisements about the company. A lot of the helpful templates you might have used for brainstorming are no longer offered. Open any template that you would like to edit and simply make necessary changes according to your wish. The template may be used to demonstrate the process you intend to use to implement the undertaking, what resources youre going to need and the way you will manage it. All our templates incorporate an extensive choice of styles so it is possible to save yourself time with formatting and concentrate on the content. Our sop templates are simple to customize and you may use them to ease your work. Youre able to realize that the letter consists of a date. As memo is a written document, therefore it can be quite easily employed for references later on. Because the document is set up in Word, adding your very own yearly letter is as straightforward as editing any Word document and much simpler than buying paper from the shop and attempting to prepare the margins in Word to coordinate with the artwork and making certain you set it in the printer the most suitable way. Microsoft letter templates may be used to create a number of job-related letters. Al ways proof read your memo to prevent any error. Even for an actual expert, attempting to lay out a book cover in Word can be challenging. Although originally created for Excel, these templates are now able to be downloaded as Word documents also. If you are prepared to make an estate program but youre not certain which estate planning documents you require, our estate planning tool is able to help you decide. A questionnaire template is simply like the questions youre asking. Training manual templates are holding considerable significance, not just in the eyes of organization but also for customers. Project proposal template is utilised to create unique and appealing project proposals. Any more text has to be added after processing. If you do extract files individually into another folder in your directory ordnungsprinzip ensure you know where to locate them. In this way, the image doesnt get in the users way, the user is not likely to move the image accidentally, and the res no question about where, exactly, it ought to be positioned. Overall, the template works best for users wishing to track down huge volume of information. A Secret Weapon for Word Resume Templates Free The following are a few facets of its feature collection. Theres no special training or certification isnt required. Since you can see in the picture, it has basic information regarding event information together with its participant. If you find yourself with a suitable template but still your requirements arent meeting then its clear that you are far away from your anfangsbuchstabe requirements.

An Unreliable Professional Insanity Test

An Unreliable Professional Insanity Test Insanity doing the saatkorn thing over and over again and expecting different results. falsely attributed to Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin Youre familiar with the oft-invoked maxim Insanity is doing the saatkorn thing over and over again, and expecting different results.Its trotted out and trumpeted by concerned friends or colleagues when you stick with a sales pitch that never works, refuse to switch your cologne when it attracts only mosquitoes, persist in having crackheadforeverdruggie.com as your employment contact email (without ever getting a reply) or dress too casually for all your job interviews, which lead nowhere.However, as career or life advice, that observation is seriously overstated and likely to cause trouble if taken and blindly followed on blind faith, unless the cases in which it is valid are systematically teased out from the on es in which it isnt. For example, imagine how far Thomas Edison would have gotten with the invention of the filament-based incandescent lightbulb if he quit one test shy of the total that exceed 1600just one short of his ultimately successful filament test materials test. The Smithsonian history of Edison and the light bulb would never have been written as followsOne tough piece was finding the right material for the filamentthat little wire inside the light bulb. He filled more than 40,000 pages with bedrngnises before he finally had a bulb that withstood a 40 hour test in his laboratory. (10) In 1879, after testing more that 1600 materials for the right filament, including coconut fiber, fishing line, and even hairs from a friends beard, Edison and his workers finally figured out what to use for the filamentcarbonized bamboo.(Actually, being really smart, Edison probably would have justified such indefatigable persistence on the grounds that no two of the trials were exactly the s ame, either with respect to the materials tested or the protocol followed. More on this, below.)The Cases of Stephen King and Mother NatureHow about water-boarding or electro-shocking interrogators, if they gave up after only two or three interrogations? Then there are the cases of persistent authors, such as Stephen King, JK Rowling who achieved success only after countless submissions of the same writings, through the same kinds of channels, weathering the same kinds of rejection. Is You gotta do the numbers any less valid as a principle of effort? For example, consider CarrieKings first (eventually) published novelHis first published novel was rejected so many times that King collected the accompanying elendlagees on a spike in his bedroom. It was finally published in 1974 with a print run of 30,000 copies. When the paperback version was released a year later, it sold over a million copies in 12 months. (Excerpt from The rejection letters how publishers snubbed 11 great authors?, The Telegraph, June 5, 2014)Even Mother Nature hardly treats the insanity principle as axiomatic. Consider metal fatigue Is it insane to expect a piece of metal to break cleanly after being repeatedly bent and straightened the same way, even though that doesnt happen on the first dozen attempts? Reverse the question Is it insane to be concerned about possible metal fatigue in engineered structures?Statistically Insane?What about a statistical version of the insanity principle? It is insane to do the same thing over and over again, yet to expect a different result iin more than X% of the attempts. At what value of X does persistence or repetition become nutty? For example, mailing out fliers advertising your job listings and employment servicesis a 1% response rate rationally justifiable? In cases like these, in which rationality is gauged in terms of cost-benefit ratios or differences, or break-even points, it is easy to calculate the net gain, loss or break-even response ratein te rms of sales and dealsrequired to cover the costs.However, in scenarios that lack an easily calculated, monetized measure of net gain or loss, the statistical insanity principle becomes harder to specify a value of X for. Suppose you know in advance that 1,000 auditions are required on average to land the kind of part you want in a Broadway musical. Is it insane to try even once, let alone 999 times?You could try to tally transportation, head shot, wardrobe, waiting, opportunity and other costs, weighed against the cash and other rewards of landing a part, but the calculation is unlikely to be clean and simple. Besides, there is the (delusional) cockiness that convinces you that the average stats and odds apply only for average people, not for you. This latter consideration can be crucial and serves as a reminder to be as objective and precise as possible when estimating ones own chances, lest the form of insanity that you succumb to is delusional, if not purely statistical.The usef ulness of any principle or proverb is bounded and defined by its proper domain, the boundary and background conditions prerequisite for its truth and applicability, and by the instances and domains in which it does not hold. A comparison of Haste makes waste and He who hesitates is lostwith respect to the domains and boundary conditions in which they do and do not holdwill amply illustrate that fact.So, what about the repetition-based insanity test? What are the prerequisites, boundaries, conditions and domains in and under which it it does (or does not) hold?Maximal specificity condition Revisit Edisons experimentation with light bulbs and their filaments. If each experimental trial with a filament type differed from the others in some critical way, e.g., degree of electrical conductivity of the material or the material itself, then Edison could not be accused of doing the same thing and expecting a different result, even though at a more abstract level of description he was indeed doing the same thing over and over againnamely, testing light bulb materials to find a winning combination.Hence, a necessary condition for the repetition insanity test to apply to a given case is that the trials be described with the degree of specificity that prima facie warrants conducting them in the first place. If there is no degree of descriptive specificity that distinguishes the trials from each other and the trials are yielding the same (failing) results, a preliminary warrant for calling the persistence insane exists (without being either conclusive or sufficient).Fatigue and threshold dynamics Any series of repetitions that, although as actions are identical, create hidden states (e.g., observable only through micro-measurements or by means of very sophisticated technology or analysis), such as metal fatigue, may be eminently saneeither for the purpose of proving or creating such an effect or of proving it does not exist (when testing flexible wing joints to ensure that the same null result of no snapping is obtained).Neuronal excitation is another illustration of this phenomenon Is it insane to repeatedly stimulate a neuron in the attempt to get it to fire when every isolated attempt to do so fails? No, not if the repetitions are htte nicht viel gefehlt enough to create a threshold firing effect. (In this instance the frequency or speed of the repetitions and pulses is a crucial prerequisite or boundary condition for justifying the persistence and repetitions.)Theres nothing crazy about doing that. (A similar line of argument can be framed for critical mass and synergy phenomenanamely, that persisting in adding yet another bit of something, a different result, e.g., uncontrolled nuclear fission, a camel with a back broken by the last straw, or team-based brainstormed success, will eventuate.)Quality control Suppose you manufacture parachutes and decide to test every one of them, e.g., in a wind tunnel or through tensile-strength tests, to ensure safety and reliability. Youre doing the same thing over and over again, but are you expecting a different result? No, youre hoping you dont get oneand are prepared to take steps in case you find a defective chute. That seems to be a clearly sane thing to do.But waitif it is insane to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, isnt it arguably equally insane to persist in doing that to ensure you dont get a different result? Thats because the same assurance that you rationally should not expect a different result is an assurance that there is no rational need to test for a different result, quality control or no quality control. From the stanpoint of this line of argumentation, running exhaustive quality control tests should be as insane as testing a pail of golf balls to see whether they fall 32 feet/sec2 when released from a given height or sniff testing your egg salad every 10 seconds.However, exhaustive quality control testing is not insane, even though it is costlier than statistical random sampling, at least when the stakes and liability of producing even one defective item are unacceptably high. It may be argued that parachutes and golf balls are different, because some of the former have failed to open, whereas no golf ball has ever failed to fall as predicted by the laws of gravitation and free fall.The takeaway from this line of argumentation is that the sanity of persistence may have to be defined in statistical terms, per the discussion above, with specified threshold probabilities of failure or exceptions determining the degree of sanity or insanity of persistence.If, despite my analysis, you persist in believing that it is insane to do the same thing over and over again, but expect a different result, try re-reading this article many times.You may be surprised by the resulteven though, despite the misattribution of the insanity principle to him, Einstein wouldnt.