How to Study for Your Psychology Classes

How to Study for Your Psychology Classes Student Resources Study Guides and Tips Print How to Study for Your Psychology Classes By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on February 19, 2020 Tom Merton / Getty Images More in Student Resources Study Guides and Tips APA Style and Writing Careers Studying psychology is different than studying for other college classes such as math and history. You can still use your tried-and-true study strategies, there are also some techniques you can try that are more specific to helping you succeed in your psychology class. Make the Most of the Class Lectures Students sometimes use class time as an opportunity to daydream or nap, but not paying attention in lectures can be perilous to your grade. Even if you feel you get by without going to lectures, ask yourself if youre really getting the most out of your education by doing so. The information you learn in lectures will serve as the basis for more advanced classes. Building a solid understanding now is vital to your success in school. Active listening is a learning strategy that involves focusing on what the speaker is saying, paying attention to nonverbal signals, and asking questions. To get the most out of your lectures, always read the assigned chapters before class. As you read, make note of the questions you may have. If your questions remain unresolved when the lecture is over, ask your instructor for clarification. Why You Should Never Skip Your Psych Class Take Good Psychology Notes Whether in a traditional classroom setting or in an online course, no matter how your class is structured, you should always take high-quality psychology notes. The simple act of writing things down helps cement the information in your memory, but it also has the advantage of giving you something to refer back to. In addition to having good note-taking skills, you should also spend some time every week reviewing your class notes. Spend 10 to 15 minutes before class reading through the previous days notes, then spend another 10 to 15 minutes after class reviewing the notes youve just taken. These brief study and review sessions will help you retain information better because it periodically refreshes the material in your memory. The Best Study Tips for Psychology Students Teach the Information to a Classmate One of the best ways to learn is to teach! You need to have a good understanding of a concept to effectively relay it to someone else. Try pairing up with another student to practice explaining psychological theories to each other. Explaining a complex theory or recalling important people or events in the history of psychology to someone else gives you the opportunity to relate information in your own words. When its your partners turn to teach, youll get a new perspective on the information when you hear how they explain it. Skills Every Psych Major Needs Consider forming a study group with your fellow classmates. Each week, assign a certain topic or section to each member of the group. When you get together, take turns teaching about each of the concepts, reviewing the material, and discussing any questions that come up. Compare and Contrast Theories and Concepts Studying psychology involves more than just reading and memorizing facts. Its important that you feel comfortable comparing and contrasting theories as well as think about how these concepts relate to real life. As you learn about different topics in psychology, compare the new material to what you have previously learned. For example, create a chart outlining the differences between the branches of psychology or exploring similarities between personality theories. Finally, by relating the information you learn to real examples in your own life, you will find that it is much easier to understand and remember come test time. 5 Test-Taking Strategies for Psychology Exams

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in India A Question of Multinational Corporation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2128 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are the two largest corporations producing soft-drinks and bottled water today, therefore having a huge impact on people all around the world. One country in particular that has been greatly affected by these two corporations is India. Raman (2007) reported that both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were initially attracted to India for production due to its expanding middle-class between the end of the 1980s and early 1990s as well as the extremely cheap supply of water (p. 107). Ironically, water is what ultimately caused the start of problems within India (in Kerala specifically) which came into view around 2001. The idea of water being a human right and the power that multinational corporations hold in foreign countries of the South became huge concerns. Canadians and many others around the world use these products daily, therefore making this very relevant to our daily lives. This paper will therefore argue that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, although thought to h elp India economically, has rather only caused many internal issues. Theoretical Backing Arturo Escobar and Gustavo Estevas post-development theory supports the argument that multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have only caused more problems in India rather than creating economic prosperity. Escobar explains that economic diversity is lost with modernization and development, which is what is happening in India. Their economy is highly based on the success of corporations within their country. The post-development theory also explains that environmental destruction is a negative result of modernization in third-world countries such as India. One of the major concerns with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in Kerala, India are the environmental concerns, including polluted water, water depletion, and agricultural problems. The whole reason that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have built factories in India is because it is the cheapest for them overall and there are less safety regulations. The government of India was convinced that allowing these factories to be built within their country would bring them economic prosperity (Raman, 2010, pg. 255), which has not necessarily happened. This could easily be linked to Andre Gunder Franks underdevelopment theory because the money that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have made from their factories in India is immense and has brought development back to the north, however, it has only caused underdevelopment to occur within India and has brought on many internal problems. The main idea of the underdevelopment theory is that development in the Global North has caused underdevelopment in the Global South. It is the idea that these countries are not undeveloped, but they are still not as developed as the countries and companies exploiting them, which is the case in India. Looking at the base reasons as to why transnational corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo would want to have factories in India can be linked to the theory of neoliberalism, which supports the idea of globalization and privatization. The reasons that these corporations are spreading themselves around the world is for more profit, which is an important part of neoliberalism. India itself has been becoming increasingly liberalized since the 1990s, as the country previously did not allow corporations like Coca-Cola to be sold or produced within the country, but it is now open to corporations. Overall, the argument of this paper will be based on the post-development theory, but the phenomenon of these corporations existing in India is based on neoliberalism. Research Analysis The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo corporations have had negative impacts in India in three major ways: first, they have been the cause for several environmental problems, especially with water depletion and agriculture. Secondly, many health problems have arisen out the pollution and pesticides used by the two corporations; and lastly, alt hough they may contribute to the macroeconomics of the world, local economies in India have been virtually destroyed because of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Looking firstly at the issue of environmental issues that have arisen in India (namely within Plachimada in Kerala), water shortages and lack of safe drinking water have been the cause for major debate (Aiyer, 2008). The Coca-Cola Company was extracting anywhere from 500,000 to 1.5 million liters of groundwater a day (it takes roughly 3 liters of groundwater to make 1 liter of soft drink or 1 liter of bottled water) (p. 645). Plachimada was once a very plentiful place with a great amount of groundwater, which is why Coca-Cola originally decided to build up its factory there (Raman, 2007, p. 107). However, now residents are left with very little water for self-consumption, and in some areas, the water is not safe to drink at all (Hyams, 2004; Vedwan et al., 2007). This brings in a question of, who owns the water? Human rights sugges ts that water should be provided free to whoever needs it, but now Coca-Cola and PepsiCo own the only safe water, which has caused many legal issues in the recent past. Vedwan (2007) explains that there are simply not enough regulations governing the quality of commercial bottled beverages, which shows how multinational corporations often take advantage of underdeveloped countries like India. In Ghoshrays article (2007), Searching for Human Rights to Water amidst Corporate Privatization in India: Hindustan Coca-Cola Pvt. Ltd. v. Perumatty Grama Panchayat, he writes, At the heart of the case lies perhaps the most poignant legal battle of the current century: the corporate right to privatization versus the indigenous right to water,(1). Basically, the issue of water depletion in Plachimada has brought on many local economic problems. Agriculture is the largest industry in Kerala, India, but now many farmers can no longer afford to live happily (Aiyer, 2008, p. 650). Agriculture, on ce the backbone of the economy and the key source of capital accumulation, now only contributes 25 percent to the national GDP even as 75 percent of the population is dependent on it, (Hyams, 650). Their crops cannot grow without a sufficient amount of rainfall and groundwater. This means that local economies have been falling due to the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo factories in India, even though the companies have brought money into the country as a whole. The Indian Government will also have to start paying for this problem because if soil degradation gets worse, importing more foods may become necessary. Therefore, this issue is actually not good economically for much of India. Closely linked with environmental degradation, the health of the people in and amongst the area of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo has also become an issue. Hyams article, Killa-Cola (2004) explains that people had become getting sick just months after the Coca-Cola Plant was built in Kerala. The waters were ev entually tested by the government, and it was declared that the once clean water was no longer drinkable. For the locals living in Plachimada, this news was terrible because for many, the local groundwater was their only source of clean water. Now women are expected to walk miles for fresh water each day (Raman, 2007, p. 110). Not only that, but Coca-Cola had suggested that local farmers use their fertilizer on their fields for better crops. The farmers were encouraged to spread the sludge on their land; the corporation said it was an excellent fertilizer that would improve their yields. This provided a cheap and convenient waste disposal mechanism for the factory (Hyams, 2004). Little did they know that the sludge contained dangerous levels of toxic metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium. So not only were the people of Plachimada being poisoned by their water, but also by their food thanks to Coca-Cola. This problem has costed a lot of money for the Indian Government to deal with, and will surely cost more for them in the future. Sludge on the fields, however, was not the only health concern when Coca-Cola came to Plachimada. The drinks themselves, according to Raman (2007) and Ciochetto (2004), were also contaminated with pesticides. In India, however, it was the thoughtless ecological degradation that laid the land to waste and the poisonous content of the soft drinks themselves that were condemned by villagers and activists alike (Raman, 2007, p. 106). This issue is what ultimately brought most publicity to Kerala, India against the Coca-Cola Company. Even after this point, the CEOs of both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola did not really change their ways. In fact, Vedwans article (2007) explains, Perhaps, the most paradoxical act to undo the effects of bad publicity came from the PepsiCo CEO when he publicly opposed the adoption of European norms for beverages sold in India (p. 671). This ultimately leads to increased underdevelopment in Kerala and other ar eas being affected by the drinking corporations because the people of the region are basically sinking deeper into poverty without sufficient water, increased disease, and lack of food . The post-development theory supports this. The last reason as to why the Coca-Cola and Pepsi corporations have had a negative impact on the overall society in India is economic-based. Although the corporations have helped stimulate the macroeconomics, it is clear that the micro or local economies in India have become even worse that they had been in the past (Raman, 2010, p. 254). Aiyers article (2008), for example, mentions that the agriculture sector, which used to be the largest sector in India, now only accounts for 25 percent of the GDP compared to the 75 percent of the population who relies on it. Seventy percent of this rural population faces daily hunger in terms of caloric intake, (p. 650) This fact has also led to a widespread physical depression in the rural areas of India, where an av erage of seven suicides per farmer happen each day (ibid). The corporations influence over India is massive, which is overall good economically for the countries in control (the United States), but not so much for India. According to Raman (2007), The Coca-Cola marketing system is an example of how the culture of consumerism is rendered essential to individuals perceptions of culture and self-worth (p. 109) Hyams notes that, Coca-Cola, which is the biggest US corporate investor in India, has the countrys law makers in the palm of its hand, (2004). Although the above statement may show some bias against Coca-Cola, it is for the most part true. Even in 2006 when the state of Kerala in India banned the use of Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, there was so much pressure from the government and corporations that the ban only lasted for one month (Aiyer, 2008, p. 640). It should also not be forgotten that while so many people are being starved in the towns where these companies exist, Coca-Co la and Pepsi are making around $2 billion per year in profit in India (Aiyer, 2008, p. 641). Overall, the above points provide truth as to why Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have had more of a negative effect on India overall rather than the positive effect that we are tricked into thinking exists. The academic journal articles referenced above support this thesis by proving that there has been environmental devastation, health problems, and economic issues caused by the Coca-Cola and Pepsi factories in the Kerala state in India. Conclusions: Overall, the issue of multinational corporations exploiting developing countries is nothing new, and countries going through rapid expansion, such as India, want corporations to come so that they can build a strong GDP. Looking specifically at Coca-Cola and Pepsi in India, it is easy to see that there have been many more negative aspects of having these corporations in India than positive aspects, even economically. The environmental degradatio n and health problems have caused many internal problems within Indian communities, and rather than bringing economic prosperity, it is clear that economic problems have resulted from Coca-Cola and Pepsi setting up factories in these villages. This brings us to the question of whether multinational corporations are really a good thing or not. We use their products everyday in North America, and most people share a common belief that they have helped build economies. Not only that, but we daily hear about the good things that corporations are doing for us and the events that they sponsor, such as the Olympics; but we must question what is happening behind the scenes of all of this. Looking at the issue of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in India is just a small example of the problems that multinational corporations have caused worldwide. Also, we must question if these corporations are really bringing development to a country, or rather causing underdevelopment, as Coca-Cola and Pepsi seem t o be doing in the Kerala province. Finally, is neoliberalism the answer? It seems like there have been so many problems that have arisen from it. That being said, Escobar and Estevas underdevelopment theory is becoming increasingly popular as the world begins to realize what multinational corporations and neoliberalism is doing to separate the rich-poor gap between the North and South. Is globalization all that great? By looking Plachimadas case, most would come to the conclusion that it is not. These are the types of questions that can be considered when looking at the issue of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo not only in India, but all around the world. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in India: A Question of Multinational Corporation" essay for you Create order

The Swinging Sixties A Time of Civil Resistance Essay

â€Å"Free at last† were the words of a legendary man who would later inspire change throughout the world. Through his panoply of work, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged the popular idea of African Americans being of less status than â€Å"white men†. His I Have a Dream speech is recognized across the world, not only as inspiration for blacks everywhere, but also as a prime example of non-violent civic activism. King’s main objective was to achieve the equality that blacks had been deprived of. He discussed the issues of racial discrimination, segregation, and political and economic justice by means of public speeches that spanned throughout America. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man willing to challenge the status quo by disassociating himself†¦show more content†¦This caused an environment in which African Americans felt as though they were â€Å"languished in the corners of American society† (King). Due to this barrier, oppression was felt t hrough the black community. There was lack of hope but through his campaign, Martin Luther King was able to restore the optimism that had been lost. He had a vision in which all men were equal. In his speech, King suggests that whites and blacks are the same when he says â€Å"[white America] have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with [black America’s] destiny† (King). He also goes on to say that he wants â€Å"to make justice a reality for all of God’s children† (King). His ability to relate ideas back to religion is partially responsible for the success of this speech. Martin Luther King was able to use biblical references as a way of conveying his message to his audience in a more effective manner. The use of this idea was relevant in the sense that it made the ideas that he proposed comprehensible as opposed to far-reaching and radical. King makes reference to The Epistle of the Galatians when he speaks of the â€Å"day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing† (King). References such as these â€Å"added amplification and depth of field to the speech,† an opinionated statement made by Michiko Kakutani in The Lasting Powers of Dr. Kings’ Dream Speech in the NY Times.Show MoreRelated The Psychedelic Sixties Essay3476 Words   |  14 Pagesquot; What better line to epitomize the feeling of the Americans throughout the chaos and turmoil of one of the most memorable decades in United States history, than this quote in the Jeffers on Airplane song quot;Volunteers?quot; The people of the time were utterly awestricken by the horrors they were being forced to endure, and they decided they would do the best they could to publicize their total disgust for the United States approach to its people. 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Whitney Young Free Essays

Ap American History Whitney Young Whitney young was a civil rights activist born on July 31, 1921 in Lincoln ridge, Kentucky. He graduated from Kentucky State College at 18 and he studied engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his discharge, he received an MSW from the University of Minnesota in 1947. We will write a custom essay sample on Whitney Young or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mr. Young has many accomplishments from being head of many social worker companies to being advisors to president. But his overall goal was to bridge the gap between white political and business leaders and poor blacks and militants. Mr. Young was involved in many social worked companies including National Urban League. He was President of National Urban League in 1961. In just four years, he revitalized the relatively passive civil rights organization and turned it into an aggressive fighter for civil rights and justice. He expanded the organization from 38 employees to 1,600 employees and from an annual budget of $325,000 to more than $6. 1 million. Under his direction the organization grew from 60 to 98 chapters. He was also in other social worker companies like National Conference on Social Welfare in 1965 and NASW in 1969. With these companies he did many things like secured jobs and training for African-Americans in areas traditionally closed to them. An also he helped bridge the gap between white political and business leaders and poor blacks and militants. Whitney Young did many things He pioneered the development of social work in industrial settings with both union and management. He was an advisor on race relations to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon and his innovative â€Å"Marshall Plan† was considered a major inspiration for the â€Å"War on Poverty† of the Johnson Administration. In 1968 Johnson bestowed upon Young the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Whitney is a true inspiration in 1960’s showing that African American’s can be on top of corporate industries and lead Americas economy. He was credited with almost singlehandedly persuading corporate America and major foundations to aid the civil rights movement. Whitney Young was a true civil rights activist and deserves to be called a civil rights pioneer. This is my report on Whitney Young and how he is a pioneer or social workers all over the United States of America. Bibliography â€Å"National Association of Social Workers. † National Association of Social Workers. NASW, 20 Feb. 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Whitney Moore Young, Jr. from Encyclopedia of World Biography.  ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. â€Å"Whitney Young Jr. † 2013. The Biography Channel website. Feb 28 2013, 01:09 http://www. biography . com/people/whitney-young-jr-9539757 How to cite Whitney Young, Essay examples

White Lies Essay Example

White Lies Essay In the poem â€Å"White Lies† by Natasha Trethewey I felt like this poem represents imagism because it mentions six different colors all describing lies. It’s about an African American girl that may tell little lies that don’t really mean much. She lies about where she lives, where she brought her clothes, and would also lie about being African American. When she lies about her skin color in the line, â€Å"I could even keep quiet, quiet as kept, like the time a white girl said (squeezing my hand), Now we have three of us in this class. It’s sad because she is not lying to act cool. When she writes â€Å"squeezing my hand,† I sensed that she only lied because she liked the way the girl was acting like her friend. The first stanza does a really good job in explaining why this poem would fit in the imagery category because it describes that she is really light skinned for an African American. It states, â€Å"I was growing up/light-bright, near-white, high-yellow, red-boned in a black place. The words â€Å"light-bright† and â€Å"near-white† make you think of a very light color. I also got the double meaning with the color white. White is connected throughout the poem to lies, at the end of the poem it is connected to soap that will purify or cleanse someone. She writes, â€Å"She laid her hands on me, then washed out my mouth with Ivory soap. This is to purify, she said, and cleanse your lying tongue. † Theses few lines make you think that she’s trying to describe white as the right thing. We will write a custom essay sample on White Lies specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on White Lies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on White Lies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The author does this again in the second stanza when she writes, â€Å"I could act like my homemade dresses come straight out of the window at Maison Blanche. † This line makes me think that dresses from the White House are better than others. I think the overall message of this little girl is that she used to think that white was better than black. Clothes were better from the white house, minds are more pure with white soap, and lies that are only white are very pretty.

Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines

People have been mining since the eighteenth century, and compared to that time period, the treatment of coal miners has only recently improved. Miners have lived with dangers the rest of us cannot even imagine: slag falls, explosions, fires, gases and cave-ins occur, and there is always the possibility of being crippled for life either from broken bones or the black-lung disease that coal miners still acquire from breathing in coal dust. These conditions were not just in America, but coal was being mined in Europe before they began here in the states. In the novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina, coal miners were treated horribly and forced to work in unsafe conditions everyday. In Europe in 1841, the British Parliament conducted an investigation on the conditions of the coalmines. The conditions were especially horrid in Scotland. The investigative committee found conditions such as water constantly dripping from the ceilings, and workers having to stand ankle deep in water in shafts and other places. Some of the coal seams, the areas in which the miners had to work, were only 20 to 28 inches which meant the miners had to lie in the water and mud on their sides while working. (Ashworth 48-52) It is hard to imagine how the workers managed to bring their load out while crawling. Women and children as young as age five worked in the mines of Europe in the early years. The commission discovered that the women were treated no differently than the men. They were expected to carry the same load as the men and produce the same amount of coal. In fact, the women seemed to have it worse because they were smaller and they were the ones sent into places that were too small for the men to enter and were forced to endure the most cramped work areas. Young girls and boys were given the same jobs to do in the mines. The girls, being smaller, were in the same situation the women were in and could go in the smallest places. (Ashwo... Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines Free Essays on Conditions Of Coal Mines People have been mining since the eighteenth century, and compared to that time period, the treatment of coal miners has only recently improved. Miners have lived with dangers the rest of us cannot even imagine: slag falls, explosions, fires, gases and cave-ins occur, and there is always the possibility of being crippled for life either from broken bones or the black-lung disease that coal miners still acquire from breathing in coal dust. These conditions were not just in America, but coal was being mined in Europe before they began here in the states. In the novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina, coal miners were treated horribly and forced to work in unsafe conditions everyday. In Europe in 1841, the British Parliament conducted an investigation on the conditions of the coalmines. The conditions were especially horrid in Scotland. The investigative committee found conditions such as water constantly dripping from the ceilings, and workers having to stand ankle deep in water in shafts and other places. Some of the coal seams, the areas in which the miners had to work, were only 20 to 28 inches which meant the miners had to lie in the water and mud on their sides while working. (Ashworth 48-52) It is hard to imagine how the workers managed to bring their load out while crawling. Women and children as young as age five worked in the mines of Europe in the early years. The commission discovered that the women were treated no differently than the men. They were expected to carry the same load as the men and produce the same amount of coal. In fact, the women seemed to have it worse because they were smaller and they were the ones sent into places that were too small for the men to enter and were forced to endure the most cramped work areas. Young girls and boys were given the same jobs to do in the mines. The girls, being smaller, were in the same situation the women were in and could go in the smallest places. (Ashwo...

How employer branding will help you hire the best and the brightest

How employer branding will help you hire the best and the brightest Most companies today are keenly aware of the strategic importance of having a well-developed, clearly defined, and easily identifiable company brand and industry-differentiating brand strategy (if they’re not, they likely won’t be around for long anyway. But how much time does you and your organization devote to focusing on employer branding?Chances are, the answer is not nearly enough, and you might not even be fully aware of how it’s impacting talent recruitment and retention in your company. The truth is, company branding is just one side of the branding coin- your team should also have an employer branding strategy that helps you attract and keep top-tier talent in your industry.Essentially, employer branding refers to how your company is viewed as a potential employer. It goes a long way towards ensuring that you have a steady supply of passive and active candidate talent in your HR pipeline at all times, which is mission critical when you have key open posi tions in your company and when you’re pursuing aggressive growth or new initiatives that require staffing changes.A positive employer brand is often a key determinant when a potential candidate is deciding whether or not to consider joining your team. If your industry is crowded with aggressive companies that are clamoring for top talent, what makes your company an attractive option? How does your organization stand out from and rise above the industry traffic and noise? What is your current employer brand like, and how do you envision its growth and evolution?Confronting these questions should be a top priority for your HR department if it’s serious about impactful employer brand development. Not only will it make your team’s recruitment strategies more fruitful and effective, it will also help your team do more with less by freeing up time and resources normally spent on pursuing potential candidates and clumsy recruitment advertising- having an effective empl oyer brand means candidates will seek you out for opportunities, not vice versa.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Now that you’re keenly aware of the importance and value of employer branding, consider using the following strategies for developing your company’s brand.Define your purposeFor many companies effective employer branding starts at its mission statement, which encapsulates what your company believes in and is striving towards achieving. It then builds from there. Today’s job candidates care about more than salaries and perks- they want to know that the goals and beliefs of the companies they choose to work for and devote their time to align with their own. Make sure that your company shares its mission and values loud and proud, and that they’re well-known throughout the industry and clearly defined for prospective employees whenever a job posting is made available. Make sure it’s both meaningful and imp actful, and that it passes the jargon detectors- today’s candidates are too savvy to fall for half-baked and half-hearted mission statements filled with hollow corporate-speak.Mean what you sayYour company needs to demonstrate that it actually upholds the values it says it believes in. An effective employer brand not only has a strong and clear message, it’s also backed up by actual proof. Does your company espouse effusive support of a specific charitable cause or environmental initiative for example? If so, back it up with actual proof that you’re making a difference, and it will really resonate across your industry and with potential employees who believe in those causes. Remember, we’re living in a visual information age, so videos and photos of your efforts on your website and across social media will have a real impact.Make community a priorityToday’s job candidates don’t want to join a faceless corporate monolith and simply clock in e ach day to earn a paycheck. The truth is, we’re spending more raw hours working than ever before. Most of us want to devote that time to a company that believes in being inclusive and fostering a sense of real community. Make sure that it’s apparent that this is a priority for your organization across all outward-facing resources- from websites to social media and everything in-between.Show that you’re listeningAn effective employer brand is not a static â€Å"one a done† effort. In truth, it’s much more like a living thing- it learns, grows, and evolves as times change, cultures shift, and industry norms progress. This means listening to what others have to say about your company; responding to positive praise, negative thoughts, and constructive criticism; and using this valuable feedback to constantly improve.Make sure your brand never gathers dust or becomes known as the â€Å"stodgy dinosaur† in your industry. Today’s top talent, particularly younger recruits, tend to seek out progressive, industry-leading companies that care about what they have to say and embrace cutting-edge growth and meaningful change. Bottom line: make sure your brand perspective is that of a company that listens in an effort to lead the way in its industry, not one that’s fumbling and struggling just to keep up.Value your employeesCandidates want to know that if and when they join your team, they’ll be valued members of your organization and will continue to be important and valued over time. Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP; the combination of policies, programs, and benefits that you offer to those who join your team) should be a key component of your employer branding strategy and should be clear to potential candidates at all stages of your HR pipeline.Are you ready to focus on taking your company’s employer brand to the next level in an effort to recruit and retain the very best available talent? Use the advice and strategies presented here to make effective branding changes that will have a positive impact across your organization. Good luck!