Are Writing Mechanics Making or Breaking Your Executive Resume

Are Writing Mechanics Making or Breaking Your Executive ResumeThere are so many essentials to consider when writing an executive resume that sometimes it can be easy to overlook critical elements of the writing process. One often overlooked element is writing mechanics.Paying attention to writing mechanics can include making sure your sentences are correctly structured, words are leid misspelled, word choice is correct, and the document does not contain any obvious grammatical errors. As you can imagine, making too many mistakes on your resume could result in its being tossed. So what are some ways you can avoid making mistakes when developing and finalizing your resume?Check the Spelling and GrammarAlthough spelling and grammar are usually the belastung items on your things-to-do list when developing your resume, they need to be moved into a priority position before you submit the document. Why? Hiring decision makers have to read resumes all day, and when reading, the last thing th ey want to do is run across a sentence like thisHighly successful in building client relationship that drive margin increases an cost reduction.While the errors can be viewed as minor, they could easily annoy a person who has to read resumes all day and is interested in seeing only perfection.Of course, the best way to avoid minor slip-ups is to proofread your resume until you feel certain that it is error-free. Also, you can hand it over to a few friends to have them help you proofread it some mora.Examine Readability and RepetitionIn developing your resume, you also want to avoid repeating the same words and phrases over and over again. While you may not be expected to come to the table with an amazing vocabulary, you at least want to showcase some variety in your descriptive phrases and action words so that employers can discern just how dynamic a candidate you are.Also, its important to be sure that your resume reads well in terms of sentence structure as well as the overall for mat. If your sentences are too long and confusing, or if the resume is too dense and lacking in white space, it could be difficult to convince an employer that your document is worth reading.Sometimes its hard to believe that the fundamentals of writing are just as important as the qualifications you include in your resume. But if you are able to manage the mechanics of writing and share your amazing qualifications, you will have a better chance of impressing your prospective employers as they read your resume.Its important to remember to brand your resume before applying to each new position for more information on branding check out my recent article 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume. You can also get additional job search and career related advice by checking out our blog or following us on Twitter GreatResume.

Menopause Age and the Workplace

Menopause Age and the Workplace Now that most women continue to work well past the onset of letzte regelblutung, you may be wondering how you can expect it to impact your work. What will change? Will people notice? Will you face discrimination?Menopause is a normal, natural transition for women. Its not an illness and shouldnt be a source of embarrassment or shame. Unfortunately, some work environments arent receptive to the very normal changes that every woman undergoes. Furthermore, some menopausal symptoms can be so debilitating to some individuals that they may elect to stop working. Every woman is different, so its hard to predict when the onset of letzte regelblutung will occur in each individual and how the symptoms of letzte regelblutung will affect her. Read on for some common predictors of what you can expect, when you can expect it, and how it might impact your work life.Predicting when menopause will hitThe average age of natural menopause is 51. However, menopause age de pends on several factors, genetics being the most important. The average age of menopause doesnt matter nearly as much as how old your mother was when she began you can expect to fall within a few years of the menopausal age of your mother and other female family members.Still, while certainly not the majority, some women go through early menopause or premature menopause well before the average age, even as young as 40. If your mother reached menopause before the age of 45, and other women in your family experienced it later, you wont necessarily follow suit.A small percentate of women may have premature ovarian failure and experience menopause-like symptoms. This condition occurs before the age of the 40 and results in infertility issues, as well as irregular periods.Menopause age also depends on other factors, including your ethnic backgroundsome ethnicities tend to go through menopause earlier or later than othersand whether or not you smoke if you do, your age of menopause may b e earlier than it might have been otherwise.Medical procedures can also affect the age of menopause. Chemotherapy often puts younger women into temporary menopause, and may result in earlier menopause later on.Surgical menopause generally refers to the early menopause that occurs in women who have their ovaries removed in a procedure called bilateral oophorectomy. Doctors may perform this minimally invasive procedure if a woman suffers from endometritis, ovarian cancer, non-cancerous ovarian tumors or cysts, or an ovary torsion, a painful condition in which the ovary becomes twisted around the tissue that support it. Women may also elect to have prophylactic oophorectomy to reduce their risk of developing ovarian or breast cancer.Because the ovaries produce hormones that control a womans menstrual cycle, including strogen and progesterone, women who have undergone a bilateral oophorectomy will begin premature menopause (surgical menopause), assuming they have not already begun natur al menopause.Keep in mind that the age at which your menstrual cycle began, pregnancy, and taking birth control pills do not affect menopausal age. Despite menstrual periods beginning at an earlier age on average in recent years, the average age of menopause has remained consistent for some time.How menopause could affect workMenopause affects womens health differently. Some women have minimal side effects and symptoms and appreciate that their menstrual period days are over. Others may have negative responses to their fluctuating hormone levels and experience a slew of vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes, irregular periods, in die vagina dryness, night sweats, and difficulty sleeping. Bone loss, which has to do with declining estrogen and progesterone levels, can also occur during the menopausal transition. Weight gain, though not the direct cause of hormonal changes, can be associated with menopause as well (weight gain is thought to be more related to aging, lifestyle, and genetic factors). Menopausal women may also experience psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Some women may encounter memory problems, periods of clumsiness and forgetfulness, and other cognitive symptoms.If you experience some or all of these symptoms, it can be hard to avoid having menopause impact your work. There are some steps you can takeand your employer can taketo mitigate these side effects and reduce the extent to which menopausal symptoms impact your work and working environment.Keeping menopause from taking over your working lifeSteps you can take Take breaks.You may need to take breaks during the day or leave work early on occasion. Thats nothing to be ashamed of. If you need a break, take it. You shouldnt have to suffer through stress or physical symptoms. Take care of your mental and physical health.There are many symptoms associated with menopause, and addressing them shouldnt embarrass you. If youre experiencing depression, anxiety, mood swings, or other psychological side effects, you may want to see a psychologist or another mental health professional to discuss them. If your physical symptom are causing you pain, see your gynecologist theres no reason why you need to suffer. Begin hormone replacement therapy.Some women elect to regulate their hormone levels artificially or with natural supplements to reduce symptoms associated with menopause, including bone loss, hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Hormone replacement therapy may also help protect women against osteoporosis. However, hormone therapy can adversely affect other aspects of womens health it may increase your risk of breast cancer, heart disease, or stroke. Its important to read all the potential side effects, compare different hormone therapy options, and weigh the risks against the potential benefits. Discuss the situation with your employer.You may feel embarrassed to talk about your menopause symptoms with your manager, but if yo u dont, you may not receive the accommodations you need. If youre uncomfortable discussing it with a male boss, you might ask a female colleague or HR representative to be present for the meeting. Articulate what kinds of reasonable accommodations you might need, and explain the ways in which menopause might impact your work.Steps employers can take Be flexible.If your employee discusses her menopause symptoms with you and asks for accommodations, such as the ability to work from home some days, be as open as possible. Communicate understanding, and make allowances, as long as they dont interfere with the quality of your employees work. Educate management and employees.Menopause remains a taboo subject in many workplaces. Employers can work to change the culture and stigma surrounding a normal event that happens to all women in their lives. Some ways to educate your employees may include holding awareness events, handing out literature on the subject, and making policies that touch on the menopausal transition, such as sick days and vacation, clear. Be aware of legalities concern symptoms of menopause.While there are no specific laws governing the treatment of menopausal women, actions that arise as a result of menopausal symptoms could be related to ageism or sexism. Recognize what behaviors might be the result of menopause, as opposed to poor performance. Of course, if there are performance issues that are unrelated to menopause or other biases, thats a separate issue. Simply being cognizant of challenges associated with this transition can help you gauge what might be the result of menopause and whats not.Menopause can be a difficult stage of life for many women. While you may be experiencing a number of physical and psychological symptoms, there are many steps you and your employer can take to reduce the extent to which it impacts your workand make the transition smoother and easier. Its also important to recognize when you need help and to seek it out. Be kind to yourself and recognize thats its sometimes okay to lila drink on others.

Who Else Is Misleading Us About Samples of Writing about Certificate Sourse in Resume?

Who Else Is Misleading Us About Samples of Writing about Certificate Sourse in Resume? If you would like the quickest approach to enhance your writing, sign up now. When you start writing the resume, select the resume based on your profession. From grammar to formatting and strategy, you will learn all you want to stand out as an authority in the area. You might need several unique versions of your or CV because of the particular position for which youre applying. Details of Samples of Writing about Certificate Sourse in Resume A CV is your opportunity to show an employer what youve got, therefore weve designed a course that will provide you with comprehensive guidance on CV writing, so that you can get the job that you want. For example, a candidate who wants to make an application for work in IT will have a different resume to an individual who is applying for employment in music field. When you submit an application for a job there are lots of other candidates who want to find the exact job and submit resume for the exact same. Normally, your latest job should take up the largest space on the webpage. As soon as you finish the most in-depth program in the business, so theres no continuing education requirement. Everything in your resume needs to be simple to read and simple to comprehend. Earn accredited on-line masters degree in nursing while youre on the job, at home or even on vacation. Its possible for you to arrange the program work to fit your personal or company activities. The abflug of Samples of Writing about Certificate Sourse in Resume Alas, many job seekers become overwhelmed before they even begin. One of the principal things theyll be on the lookout for is required certifications. For instance, if youre asking for a job for a network analyst, you dont need to list your house health-aide certification. Your resume will be completed in agreement with the deadline. Samples of Writing about Certificate Sourse in Resume Secret s Resume writing samples provided will provide you with a peek into the sort of resume you want to have according to your profession. Once our writer receives all the essential information, you dont have anything to be concerned about anymore. The capability to compose a great essay is a foundational block that may unlock several opportunities. Regardless of the simple fact there are quite a few how-to articles out there, resumes arent simple to write.

The Sensible Strategy for a Job-Hopping Career

The Sensible Strategy for a Job-Hopping Career The Sensible Strategy for a Job-Hopping Career To create a strategic job-hopping plan, candidates should consider six tactics (and inherent caveats)1. Know How Each Job Change Will BenefitYouBefore making a move, have an explicit understanding of what the new position will add to your skill set, experience base, mastery, maturity, and personal satisfaction. Dont just go with the flow.2. Every Move Must Be Explainable after the FactIf you job hop regularly, you need to have an explanation for each move that will be credible to future employers. Saying It seemed like the right thing to do at the time wont convince even the most sympathetic interviewers. If, looking back, youre not aya why you made a questionable job change, create a defense based on your current career plans and be prepared to sell it.3. Job Hopping Should Be All about LearningNumerous moves arent disastrous if they reflect a master plan, but frequent moves where you don t have time to develop new skills raise red flags. Plan to remain in each job at least 18 months.4. Your Last Job Is Who You Are to Potential EmployersHiring managers are going to assume that your most recent job reflects what you want to do with your life. Unless you tell a different story on your resume and in interviews, others will assume that your most recent job reflects your professional identity.5. Some Jobs Can Raise SkepticismBe careful that an interim job doesnt create an impression that you are no longer accepting new challenges and responsibilities. Taking on a lower-level assignment to learn new skills is fine, but be prepared to explain your rationale to prospective employers.6. Understand Opportunity CostsWhen considering a position, focus on what you may be giving up before considering what you could gain. For example, by transferring to a staff job from line management, you may jeopardize your ability to return to line management once youve developed new talents. D ont allow yourself to be pigeonholed into a single position.Ultimately, you must be sure your heart is in the right place. By mapping out a strategy that adds critical skills to your portfolio with a specific goal in mind, your job-hopping adventure can eventually lead to a well-paying, fulfilling position. You should build new skills where ever you are, whenever you can but you need to be willing to change jobs, possibly multiple times, to reach your career goals. Itmakes a lot of sense to think several jumps ahead before making a move.

Are you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get out

Are you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get outAre you stuck in the Shallow of life Heres how to get outMy wife and I recently saw the movie A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady durchgeknallt. The movie follows a hard-drinking, country music star (Cooper) who discovers and falls in love with a young, undiscovered singer (Gaga).The movie is a remake of several earlier versions. My wife and I thought it welches terrific. In one scene, Lady Gagas character impresses the country music star (Cooper) by singing a song she has written. They later perform the song togetzu sich on stage. Heres a trailer of that sceneBesides the fact that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga sing beautifully together, what I love about the song is the lyrics. They contain an important question for all of us, as well as the promise of transcendence.Are you happy in this modern world?The duet that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga sing is called, Shallow. It opens with Cooper playing guitar and singing the following lyricsTell me somethin, girlAre you happy in this modern world?Or do you need more?Is there somethin else youre searchin for?Lady Gaga responds with the following lyricsTell me something, boyArent you tired tryin to fill that void?Or do you need more?Aint it hard keepin it so hardcore?And finally, Lady Gaga belts out the bridge to the song, with the followingIm off the deep end, watch as I dive inIll never meet the groundCrash through the surface where they cant hurt usWere far from the shallow nowHow about you? Are you happy in this modern world? Are you far from the shallow? Its an important question because, lets face it, life can be hard.Even Bradley Coopers character in the movie, despite all his fame and fortune, isnt happy. He escapes with liquor. Hes stuck in the shallow of life.Drowning in the deep end of lifeWhen were young, fruchtwein of us get to experience several of lifes milestones. Stuff like getting ur drivers license. High school graduation. Turning 1 8 and being able to vote. Turning 21 and being able to hit the brewery.For many, there is college and/or career beginnings. Marriage, maybe kids. Work promotions. Life has a structure and trajectory to it. We keep moving along, and dont feel mired in the shallow of life. Weve learned how to swim.But then we start to age. The milestones of life slow down a bit. Divorces and layoffs can happen. Health challenges. We may not be in the shallow end of life anymore, but diving into the deep end brings its own hardships.Ive written about this before. The notion that diving in the deep end means there is a lot of water above you, bearing down. And water has weight.The deeper you swim, the more pressure there is. Kinda like the longer you live, the greater the weight of all those years behind you. It can sometimes feel like youre drowning in the deep end of life.This difficult season in many peoples lives is often referred to as a mid-life crisis.Its a period when youthful looks are beginnin g to geschmacksarm. The guy who welches the football captain in college is now battling a beer gut and receding hairline. The gal who was a popular cheerleader in high school is noticing crows feet around her eyes and dimples on her thighs.Time is not gentle. Doubts about our accomplishments and lifes purpose can start to gnaw away at our minds.She has become invisibleAuthor Doris Lessing (the 11th woman and oldest partie ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature) explored this midlife crisis issue in her moving novel, The Summer Before Dark.A review on Amazon.com noted that the book is a brilliant excursion into the terrifying gulf between youth and old age.The novels main character is Kate Brown, an attractive, intelligent, 45-year-old, married woman with a house in the London suburbs and three grown children.Over the summer, her life changes substantially. Her husband leaves for a conference in the states, and she takes a position as an interpreter. She has an affair with a much younger man, and later she becomes quite ill.Writer Joan Gage, referring to the novel in an article in the Huffington Post, recounts what happens nextBy the time shes well enough to get out of bed, Kate has lost 15 pounds, her clothes hang on her, her dyed red hair is coming out gray at the roots and her face has aged dramatically. As she weakly walks around London, even passing her own house, where her best friend doesnt recognize her, Kate realizes that, by suddenly aging from an attractive, stylish, curvy redhead into a skeletal old hag in baggy clothes, she has become invisible.Clearly, Kate has not developed a strong interior life to weather the rigors of aging. She hasnt learned how to transcend vanity and drink from the deeper wells of love, friendship, good books and more mindful living.An article in the website Honeygood.com notesWhen you are emotionally fulfilled, you become a visible woman. You feel your step has a bounce and your laughter is contagious. You stand e rect with great posture, with your head held high. You know you are respected by your husband, your family and your peers who see your relevancy, not your looks.Subtler means of beingThe reality is that well all get there, at one time or another. Well all confront our diminishing looks, career obsolescence, invisibility or general sense of irrelevancy.So what do we do? How do we inoculate or rescue ourselves from the shallow of life? How do we cope with unterstellung unwanted challenges and realities of middle age and beyond?Develop a strong interior life.A strong interior life involves slowing down enough to read, think, reflect and embrace a contemplative practice. Its the complete opposite of todays 24/7 pace. Its about shutting off all those glowing devices and social media rabbit holes.Each of us have an intimate conversation going on within ourselves. Weve been doing it all our lives. That voice inside you, checking in. Questioning. Congratulating. Doubting. Worrying. Rejoicin g.When was the last time you really had a thoughtful conversation with yourself? The real you?From Native American and Eastern spiritual traditions to todays monotheistic religions and secular, mindfulness movements, human beings have sought purpose and meaning.Developing an interior life is all about enriching the mind and soul. For some, it is a spiritual conversation. For others, it may be a metaphysical examination. Pragmatists may scoff and call it navel gazing, until the full weight of life slams them into reconsidering bigger questions.Developing an inward life of balance, enrichment and reflection is how we inoculate ourselves against the slings and arrows of worldly life. The unending march of daily living, with its commitments, responsibilities and worries, stifles our ability to align with subtler means of being.Forever in the shallowsAccording to an article in Psychology TodaySpiritual traditions have always insisted on maintaining the depth and dimensionality of life. T hey have developed practices to ensure that this occurs including meditation, contemplation and various forms of self-reflection. With the loss of religion more generally we have also lost these safeguards against staying forever in the shallows.The article goes on to noteThe importance of creating both time and space for solitude was recognized across the worlds traditions and viewed as essential for psychological well-being and personal growth. Though the modes of self-cultivation varied these were linked to the ability to think deeply and to access higher modes of consciousness fostering positive states such as attitudes of compassion and gratitude.Monks and religious ascetics who choose a monastic life have always fascinated me. People like the monk James Finley. Perhaps theyre ahead of us, having figured out how to transcend the noise of daily life?James Finley, Ph.D, lived as a monk at the secluded Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where the world-reno wned monk and author Thomas Merton was his spiritual mentor.The Psychology Today mentions Finley in the following quoteCommenting on the lack of space for introspection in contemporary life, James Finley argues that Its the crises of our age, the loss of the interior of our lives.An inside jobI recently read Anne Lamotts new book, Almost Everything - Notes On Hope. Ever the eloquent writer, Lamott makes a better argument than I for why we need to develop a strong, interior lifeThere is almost nothing outside you that will help in any kind of lasting way, unless you are waiting for a donor organ. You cant buy, achieve or date serenity. Peace of mind is an inside job, unrelated to fame, fortune or whether your partner loves you. Horribly, what this means is that it is also an inside job for the few people you love most desperately in the world. We cannot arrange lasting safety or happiness for our most beloved people. They have to find their own ways, their own answers.If developing your interior life sounds foreign to you, here are a few suggestions that might help.Learn how to meditate. There are countless online resources to teach you the basics of proper posture and breathing.Read broadly about how to develop a contemplative world view. Authors like Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama may be helpful.If you are religious, incorporate prayer into your daily routine. The act of praying can help you think about loved ones, yourself, others, and how to establish a stronger inner life and relationship with God.Start keeping a journal, and set aside quiet time to write daily about your life, thoughts, feelings and personal growth.Embrace nature. Getting outdoors, breathing fresh air, and enjoying exercise in the great outdoors can help you appreciate life more.Make time for quiet and stillness. This can be at home, in your car, or anywhere where you can take time to contemplate, reflect and center yourself.Daydream. We did this as children, but somehow abandon it in adulthood as a time waster. Daydreams can uncover solutions and deeper meaning in our lives.Make your creative passions more of a priority. Heres a helpful quote along those linesAspire to live quietly, mind your own affairs and work with your hands. -1 Thessalonians 411Help others. When we embrace kindness and humility towards others, good things happen. We become less selfish and egocentric. We worry less about vanity and wealth, and our sense of well-being and interior life improve.Forgive. They say that anger is a hot coal. You can throw it at the person youre angry with, but the coal still burns your hand. Forgiveness is a gift we give others, and ourselves. Its not always easy, but well worth it.Acceptance. Learn to accept the things you cannot change and focus on the things you can.Superficial thingsIm no authority on how best to develop a strong, fulfilling, interior life. Maybe some of you are experts and can add to this essay. I only know that vanity, jealousy, comparison, and egocentrism do not serve us well in life. And unfortunately, so much of American culture is marinating in these superficial things (not to mention many other cultures).If we fail to develop our intellectual curiosity, which is a part of a healthy, interior life, then we are left with more shallow tools to sustain us as we age. The Internet, television, movies, and social media all have their place (in moderation). Theres nothing wrong with healthy entertainment, but such things arent enough to develop a strong, interior life.Our looks will fade and our bodies will slowly fail us. If we dont learn how to develop a strong interior life, aging will be harder, and we might find ourselves marooned in the shallow of life.Better to develop your inner life, and thereby live the words sung by Lady GagaIm off the deep end, watch as I dive inIll never meet the groundCrash through the surface where they cant hurt usWere far from the shallow nowBefore you goIm John P. Weiss. I paint landsca pes, draw cartoons and write about life. Thanks for readingThis article first appeared on Medium.

Bartender Job Description for Resume

Bartender Job Description for ResumeBartender Job Description for ResumeAny restaurant, pub or bar requires one or more bartenders to look after and serve drinks etc. While the primary job of a bartender is to mix and serve drinks when there are guests, he or she also has other responsibilities that are related to the bar that need to be carried out.Bartender Job DutiesWhen it comes to being a bartender there are plenty of responsibilities that one has to carry out. Below is a list of responsibilities that come with being a good bartender.1) Mixing various ingredients to make cocktails and mocktails. Pouring of wine and beer is also necessary.2) Washing of equipment, barware and glasses after use.3) Collecting payments and operating the cash register.4) Serving customers who sit at the bar with food and drinks.5) Deciding on whether a customer has had too much of alcohol.6) Cleaning of the work area and the bar counter.7) Taking orders and serving them to the right customers.8) Order ing supplies that are required for the bar.9) Arranging of bottles etc. at the bar to make it look good.10) Checking to ensure that customers meet the legal age requirements before buying tobacco and alcohol products.Create this ResumeBartender Knowledge and Skills1) Bartenders must be able to move and handle glasses, bottles etc. with care and in a manner that they will not break.2) They need to be able to follow drink recipes and mix ingredients in the appropriate quantities.3) They need to have a good memory to be able to memorize orders and ensure that the right order gets to the right customer.4) Good interpersonal skills are a must as they absprache with the customers directly.5) The ability to deal with difficult or intoxicated customers in a professional manner.Bartender Educational Qualifications and Experience1) Certification from a bartending vocational course.2) If certification is not available, then relevant training. Most bar tenders opt for this option.3) He or she m ust meet the minimum age requirements.4) Experience as a waiter helps.Bartender Salary and Benefits1) The average salary that a bartender gets is around $7 per hour.2) Additional income comes in the way of tips which depends solely on the customers and how well you serve them.3) Bartenders usually get free meals at the restaurant / bar that they work in.4) Paid holidays and a paid vacation are also included.5) Those who work at larger establishments like hotels also enjoy the benefits of health insurance, life and accident insurance.Customize ResumeMore Sample Job Description ArticlesArt Teacher Job Description Automotive Technician Job Description Bank Teller Job Description Bartender Job Description

The Banjo The Engineers Instrument

The Banjo The Engineers Instrument The Banjo The Engineers Instrument Steve Martin plays one. So does Winston Marshall from the group Mumford and Sons, and even Taylor Swift, kind of (its a six-string). And yet, however much polish this recent uptick in popularity has lent the banjo, its not yet shed its reputation as a hillbilly utensil that belongs in the hands of an old-time farmer rather than a rock star. Never mind the fact that all the early bluegrass banjo players wore suits and ties on stage. (The image persists, thanks, largely, to a five-minute scene in the movie Deliverance, reviled by banjoists everywhere.)The truth is somewhere on the other end of the backward/advanced spectrum. In fact, a strikingly large percentage of bluegrass banjo players are engineers, tinkerers, mathematicians, and programmers.Noam Pikelny, whose instrumental banjo album was recently nominated for a Grammy, studied engineering at the University of Illinois. Ben Eldridge, of the once hugely popular bluegrass band Seldom Scene, develops signal-processing algorithms for the Navys underwater acoustics programs today. Tony Ellis, who played with Bill Monroe, studied engineering between musical pursuits. Lamar Grier, also a Blue Grass Boy for Monroe, went on to work for IBM for 17 years. And thats just to name the famous ones. I will say that the number of engineers I have run into playing banjo is statistically significant, says Stan Moore, an electrical and computer engineer and an accomplished banjo player for some 35 years.So what leads the engineering-minded to pick up the five-string? The answer has something to do with how the instrument is played and how the instrument is made.Bill Keith engineered what have become standard tuning pegs for the banjo. renommee Beaconbanjo.comPlaying Five StringsThe bluegrass banjo is not as straightforward as other instruments. With a piano, a trumpet, or even a saw and a bow, if you need to play a note of a melody, you play the note of the melody. With the banjo its not so simple. This has something to do with the fact that eliciting the traditional sound requires three fingers playing five strings with four beats to a measure. To get the ring and drive associated with the banjo, each consecutive note is played on a different string. (On other stringed instruments, like the guitar or the fiddle, its common for several consecutive notes to be played on the same string.) This means that melody notes are not always where you want them. It takes a certain kind of problem-solving to learn how to work melody notes into that string-changing ringing sound.Its sort of an engineering mindset or logical mindset. I dont know what you call it, but its the kind of stuff Im into, says Bill Keith. Keith is one of bluegrass banjos most influential players thanks to the melodic style he developed. In short, he figured out how to play melodies and scales with higher notes being played on lower stringsa counterintuitive concept to strin g players of any genre. He was also a Blue Grass Boy in 1963.Keith was a dissector of mora than music. When he was 15 he bought his first car, a Model A Ford. I took the car completely apart, he says. The body was off the frame, the engine was out. I did all the frame restoration, the brakes, replaced the rings and the engine and did a valve job the old fashioned way. Later he acquired a 1910 single cylinder Brush. He needed help with the engine and wound up making the acquaintance of a machinist. A real antique guy. Old equipment, overhead shafting, big fat leather belts. The whole shop ran on DC using drain oil to power a Hercules diesel.Keith Banjo Tuners. Image Beaconbanjo.comA Tinkerers DreamA lot of important stuff for the banjo happened there. After examining the planetary transmission found in a model T as well as his Brush, he thought of using a similar idea for tuning pegs. With his friend Dan Bump, he engineered a tuning peg that would allow players to bend notes lower, t o a specific, predetermined pitch (listen to the first notes of Flint Hill Special and youll understand). These pegsknown as Keith tunersbecame the industry standard. They also represent a sizable portion of Keiths income.When I was trying to learn Earl Scruggs stuff I basically had to take it apart to see what he was doing. That was fairly analytical, sort of reverse engineering. I had the product and I had to figure out what it was made of.Though Keith recognized the connection between the analytical and the musical, other engineers claim that the primary attraction is the hardware itself. I chose the banjo because given the tools available to me, I could make the most parts for one, of any stringed instrument that I could think of, says one mechanical engineering graduate student. Music is what engineers hear in their heads when they finally connect the dots to some problem, says Marc Smith, a senior engineer for a defense contractor. Youll find many, many musically inclined engi neers. Ive found that the more artsy they are, the more they gravitate towards guitars and keyboards. The more mechanical and hands on they are, the more theyre likely to pick the banjo. Smith grew up working underneath cars and listening to Tchaikovsky, Texas swing, WWII era swing, Country and Ragtime. He took to engineering like a baby duck to water. Hes been playing banjo since 1979 and is a master of Classic and Minstrel styles as well as bluegrass banjo.For me, the banjo represents a tinkerers dream. Endless hours may be spent on just getting all the components to hang together efficiently, says Smith.Mechanics of MusicUnlike a guitar, or a celloor a piccolofor that matter, a banjo can be completely disassembled and put back together in a matter of hours. Every part of a banjo can be swapped out and tweaked. Theres a drumhead sitting on a metal tone ring resting on a wooden rim. Behind it all is a resonator to bounce the sound away from the players body. Its all held together b y brackets and just waiting for adjustment and improvement. And thats ignoring the neck, the bridge, the tailpiece, and more.More patents have been granted on banjos, their parts, and pieces than almost any other single item . . . ever, says Smith.When it comes to taking a banjo apart, putting back together, the physics of the banjo sound, the angles of attack etc, I very much go into engineering mode, says Andrew Cartoun, an engineering consultant for high rise buildings in New York. Cartoun received his degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt, a school he picked because of its schauplatz in Nashville, TN. The engineering had more to do with the actual instrument, setup, than the act of playing music. He admits, though, that there may be subliminal problem-solving that goes on while playing.Of course, for many a banjo-playing engineer, the mechanics of the instrument, the peculiar difficulties of playing it, even the precision and intricacies of the sound, have little to d o with why they picked it up in the first placeit was just the music. The banjo is a weird and joyous instrument, says Smith. It begs to be improved and yet resists improvements in every direction. It is frustrating and mind-numbing, exhilarating and relaxing. It attracts young and old, rich and poor, tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, whites, blacks, Asians, Martians . . . and engineers.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Youll find many, many musically inclined engineers. The more mechanical and hands on they are, the more theyre likely to pick the banjo.Marc Smith, a senior engineer for a defense contractor