What Is Career?

Career means different things to different people. To a layman, it means  the work you are about to do in the nearest future while to some people it means what you might have done in the past. 

On the other hand, to some people as well, it is concerned with employment.

From the occupational point of view, career is the sum total of the jobs you might have been doing throughout your lifetime, it comprises of everything you have done as it relates to the world of works. 

It includes the posts and positions you have held throughout your lifetime working, starting from the decisions you have made about your educational, social, economic , spiritual, and political endeavor. Career is a lifelong process as it reflects your unique personality characteristics and your basic life values as clearly exhibited throughout your life.

The process of choosing a career may be daunting and very risky. And, any decision taken either right or wrong, will no doubt determine how you are likely going to spend the rest of your life. Hence, the reason to be very careful to guide against any regret for wrong decisions made about your working career.

Quite a number of things must be put into considerations before choosing any career of your choice. However, the singular action of making careful and well-thought-out decisions regarding your career can really help you increase your chance of survival and success in the world of work.

The process of career decision making is tedious and time-consuming because it involves taking into considerations all activities that complement your personal attributes, interests, likeness, educational attainment and your basic life values. All these contribute immensely to how easy and less cumbersome your career decision making will be.

To be candid, a career decision making should be made with utmost care, for they will significantly influence your direction, achievement, job satisfaction, and fulfillment in your life. 

Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is a clear indications of how fulfilled an individual is in their chosen career.  It is a measure of worker’s contentedness about any job they choose to go for. It is also a measure of how cordiality the relationship between the employer and the employee is. This may be in terms of remuneration, supervision, salary or other benefits attached to the conditions of working in such an establishments or organizations.

For More on career look out for more posts on career from this blog.

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How Increased Confidence Can Help You Get What You Want

 

Do you know that increased confidence can no doubt give you the utmost opportunity to achieve anything in life? And one important thing to take note of is how to exhibit that confidence when you need it most to achieve your goals in life.

This might sound like the cheesy kind of advice your parents might have given to you and you might even be thinking how possible is it that only confidence can do that much. In this post, I want to let you know it’s really true especially when you truly are yourself and behave confidently.

There are so many ways you can exhibit confidence behavior, such as, if you want to get a date, succeed in your career, want to engage in any business adventure, or need to take any aspect of your life to the next level, then boosting your confidence is one of the best ways to accomplish that.

Here’s the reason why…

What Confidence Really Means

If you have ever met a male or a woman counterpart and he/she just seems to have everything under control, then you might have noticed that they no doubt are usually very confident in what they do. The truth is that the whole reason they appear so successful is that they have taken their confidence level to the extreme. And this will ultimately help them to achieve virtually everything they put their minds to achieving. That’s because confidence sends a powerful signal – it says ‘I consider myself to be a catch and I can do everything’.

Speaking in evolutionary terms, confidence suggests that you are a good potential mate or a superior competitor. Even if you look short, poorly dressed, and unappealing –once you have increased confidence then it will seem as though they are more  knowledgeable than they are and can do everything  you can’t seem to be doing. The assumption is that they must have a reason to be that confident.

And thus we instantly assume that once someone is confident, this person can somehow be our superior: and we must try to be more like them. That’s why we gravitate toward confident people, want to be associated with them or date them and perhaps even want to be liked by them.

To a lot of people having too much confidence is not good as it can lead to unnecessary trouble by calling yourself what you are not or by doing what you are not capable of doing, such people only think that it is just enough to be nice. They assume that by acting nice, they will get people to like them and they can that way overcome their looks, their stature, or their status. And people can like them by being reasonable and cool!

But if you don’t have any self-confidence and you act very nice, then this can actually backfire: it starts to seem as though you want something and that you are being a creep into it.

Conversely, if you act a little less needy, if you can show yourself to be highly capable and impressive, then you can chat with someone in a friendly and open manner. By so doing, then people will be won over by your charm and your appeal. This niceness seems much more genuine because you appear like you don’t need help from everyone.

So guys let me tell you this to your face; stop trying to win the girl by being nice. She will only take you as a member of the pack and not be special. Every woman needs someone to be with them but your demeaning behavior at times may put them off from you. However, when you behave confidently you will be taken seriously and this can help you get what you want without ben let off.

And if you are an employee, stop trying to get the job by being self-deprecating. Try as much as possible to show you are confident in what you have to deliver and know better that the rest

Act like you know your worth and then lay niceness on top of that. That is the winning combination you need to get things done in a way that will favor you!

How To Keep A Competitive Edge By Administrative Professionals

Administrative professionals are surrounded by the most extremely skilled and competent people in today's workforce. Many are experts in desktop publishing, spreadsheet reporting, budgeting, and Internet research.

 Beyond this proficiency, they possess enhanced verbal and written communication and multitasking capabilities, the capacity to work in a team environment, and crisis-solving skills. Because of their versatility, administrative professionals play an essential role in many organizations.

 Although the demand for office staffing is on the increase now, the future is less certain. The Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees overall job growth but administrative professionals will decrease over the next eight years. Still, chances will only exist for those who keep pace with new technology and work towards developing themselves to meet up with the current challenges inherent in the 21st Century Office Environment administration.

 If you want to increase your chance of succeeding in your career I would like to suggest that you just as much as possible to increase your marketability, you may decide to become an authority in Web content, multimedia presentations, online meetings, and video conferencing. You may equally try to specialize in the accounting, insurance, legal, or medical field. This can be another way to widen your employment opportunities."

 I would like to offer you some additional career tips to give you the opportunity to keep a competitive edge over your colleagues. You can do this by following any of the listed points below:

 1. You must try to enhance your computer skills and be capable in all the software applications, especially those being used by your organization. You should also make it a point of duty to volunteer to teach others. This will endear you to the management of your company and make you indispensable for the progress of your company.

 2. Furthermore, you may equally increase your time management, organizational, and prioritization skills to manage various projects and priorities.

 3. You must try to sharpen your written and verbal communication skills.

 4. You must also increase leadership, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills. You can do this by joining associations that provide educational seminars and offer networking opportunities.

 5. Volunteering to participate in teams to boost exposure among executives is another option for you. You must make yourself available to help others achieve their aims. This will no doubt open many opportunities for you as well.

 6. Try as much as possible to set up a portfolio of your skills and expertise to give yourself a competitive edge when marketing your accomplishments.

 7. Taking time to subscribe to various periodicals, journals, magazines, etc., will make you stay informed about your industry. This will afford you the opportunity to know about current trends in your field.

8. Dressing appropriately for your office environment is one other area you should focus on. Whether the dress code is business or business casual, you should endeavor to dress to convey a professional image.

 9. Keeping an encouraging attitude is another thing you can do to improve your chance of survival. With continuous change in organizations today, this is an important quality that will be recognized by your boss and your peers.

 You have to bear in mind that Administrative Professionals are among the most adaptable and resourceful employees, and the best employers care for them by offering training and providing a career path. In today's fast-changing business climate, administrative professionals who possess up-to-date skills, expand new talents, and are proactive in career planning will undoubtedly enhance their advancement potential.

 Thank you.

 

10 Sure-Fire Measures To Become The Boss’s Favorite

Any office has two kinds of people, a group that works hard but is in no way noticed and the other that immediately springs to mind. The second kind is the ones who are noticed and at the forefront of all activities. 

Career success means more than being skilled, meeting crazy deadlines, and being hard-working. To be truly successful you need to be acknowledged by your boss.

 To be remembered and noticed by the boss you will need to:

 

1. Be sociable and pleasant. Have a polite thing to say to everyone, let good manners emanate from you, and at the same time a cheerful and caring attitude towards others. Don’t be brash and ride rough-shod over others or be judgmental because this may create tension within the office environment.

 2. Refrain from gossip. It is one of the things that can make life uncomfortable. Know what’s happening in the office but stay away from discussing it or spreading things however tempting it may be.

 3. Renew your knowledge and skills constantly. The world today moves at a fast pace and one needs to keep up with technical innovations as well as global business trends. Make all efforts to be ahead of developments in your field of work.

 4. Do not be wasteful in your work and have facts and figures at the tips of your fingers. Always get ready for meetings well. Be a visionary and make suggestions that can be backed up by action. When you speak it must be with“ pearls of wisdom.”

 5. Practice the art of listening. Consider what others appreciate and tell you. Absorb facts like a sponge and never inhibit yourself only to your field. Try as much as possible to diversify your knowledge and expertise because it pays to know other functions of the organization.

 6. Be a director in all aspects. Be the first to accept extra responsibilities, take over someone else’s load when they have troubles, and offer your hand to render a selfless service even to your co-workers, especially when a team is working to achieve a deadline. Make and contribute helpful suggestions. Let people see that they can depend on you for just about anything.

 7. Regard and comply with the regulations of the office. Be disciplined and spread the culture to all others.

 8. You must always show that you are in control and never for once appear to be stressed up in doing your job. Keep your private life and work affairs separate—never form a relationship with a colleague or boss. Dress well every day and stand tall while discharging your professional duties.

 9. Be systematic and organized in your work. Use filing methods that anyone can use—if you are away from the office, make easy your disposition on the way you discharge your job so that anyone in your department can step in to work on your behalf when you are away from the office. People should be able to locate papers in your absence. Keep your work area neat, and computer files uncluttered. Devise a workable backup schedule such that under no circumstance is your work lost. Crisis management measures must also be put in place.

 10.     Be ready, stylish, and open-minded. Look good and smell good—excellent personal habits are always appreciated. Carry breath mints in your pocket along with a fresh handkerchief. Keep a laundered shirt on hand for emergencies.

 Remember, it takes more than talent to impress a boss. Be ahead in the race for success and accomplishment.

 Thank you

 

5 Unusual Jobs Available To You With A Nursing Degree

5 Unusual Jobs Available To You With A Nursing Degree

In the year 2014, one statistical report was released which showed that there would be 3.6 million new jobs available in the medical profession, and the majority of the bulk of these jobs which is about 60% will be available to those having one kind of degree or another in nursing. Till today there has been a consistent increase in demand for the nursing profession.

 This high demand for registered nurses is increasing by the day and the report from the Bureau of Labour Statistics has estimated that the number of jobs that would be available for registered nurses that same year will increase by nothing less than 27% by the end of the year 2014. This will also increase opportunities for certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants,, and those known to be in medical technical fields like phlebotomy and pulmonology. 

 And for those who believe that nurses' jobs are mainly for those in hospitals and facilities alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has, however, dispelled this rumor because less than 60% of registered nurses work in a hospital.

 A nursing degree creates quite a number of opportunities for practitioners in so many fields. This has made a nursing degree one of the most versatile and useful degrees that you can work tirelessly to acquire because of the great importance attached to this profession. 

 A nursing degree not only provides these opportunities because it appeals to a wide range of people and this is evident with the rate at which so many people aspire to enter into the profession. . According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, but about 20% of those entering the nursing workforce are also older workers starting on a second career. 

 So many people are attracted by rising salaries as well as other opportunities the profession affords its practitioners. To them, a nursing degree is a chance to do something that makes them feel good, and at the same time gives them dignity and respect while doing the job.

 Whether you’ve just started your nursing career or you are returning to work after a hiatus, or even maybe you are switching to a career in nursing as a second career, you have to consider some of the opportunities that are open to you with a nursing degree. If truth be told the opportunities abound are many! I would like to talk about some of them. Let’s begin:

 Pediatric Home Health Care is known to be one of the growing fields for those with nursing degrees. Every state in the Union now has some sort of Early Intervention program that identifies children under the age of three years with special needs. Pediatric home health care allows you to work with children and parents purposely to make a real difference in their lives.

 Working in a Blood Donor Center is another window of opportunities open to you or having a nursing degree and this makes you part of the life-saving network. There’s more to blood donor centers than just starting IVs. Nurses who specialize in paresis can command high salaries, and a nurse working in the blood collection field can be a valuable community organizer as well as a medical practitioner.

 Elder Home Health Care is at the other end of the spectrum. The existence of quite a number of old people popularly tagged ‘aging of America’ means that more and more people require a little bit of help to remain in their homes. Nursing assistants, registered nurses, and licensed nurses can come in to provide that little bit extra that will allow a senior citizen to maintain a higher quality of life and remain at home when all they need is a few hours of medical care a day or week. A nursing degree will open this window of opportunity for you.

 On-Site Nursing is also a wide open field for medical workers with nursing degrees. You can work at an amusement park or zoo, in the medical office at a state or national park, or provide medical backup for the emergency workers at a beach or other recreational setting. If you choose to work on-site at a camp or other facility, this may attract an increased salary as well as other benefits which may include free tuition for your own family.

 A Critical Care Transport Nurse requires multiple nursing degrees. This is one of the most interesting and fascinating nursing jobs available if you have a nursing degree. A CCT nurse accompanies patients being transported from home or a nursing facility to another nursing facility. The nurse is responsible for maintaining continuity of care for every patient for the duration – in the back of an ambulance. It’s a challenging and fun job that commands a salary commensurate with the experience required.

 

6 Different Ways To Achieve Success in Your Career

6 Different Ways To Achieve Success in Your Career 

There are quite several ways that success can be achieved in your career. For you to know what exactly you can do to achieve success you need to read this article to have a better understanding of how to excel in your chosen career. What do employers look for in potential employees? 

That question was posted recently on a career discussion forum online. Naturally, for each different position, the particular answers to that question would be different. However, there are some common skills that employers look for in all employees, whether the employee happens to be a network engineer or a fry cook. These skills are also called "In-Demand Skills for Success" and this shows how important the skills are.

The first thing you have to do is to improve your life on some "BASIC SKILLS" such as reading, writing, and arithmetic! Believe it or not, a good portion of high school graduates (and some college graduates as well) do not read at a high-grade level and cannot do multiplication in their heads. Employers are seeking employees who can read well, write coherently, and at the same time calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.)without much problem. Furthermore, you need to have modern basic skills of keyboarding, basic computer knowledge, and the ability to use most computerized tools (e.g. fax machine, basic word processing program, etc.) needed for employment success.

Secondly, you need to have a better understanding of Interpersonal Skills. you should know that a potential employee must be able to speak well? Can you attend to your customer's request in a positive and informative manner? Can you provide good customer service if you're called to step in for any ailing staff? While not everyone has an outgoing sales personality, successful employees must equally communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their coworkers, team members, subordinates, management, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs.

You should also be able to stand on your own to ensure "Job Attainment". Job search is a process that requires a great deal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully. It follows the old principle that many veteran programmers refer to as GIGO ‚ Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put lousy effort in, you will receive lousy results. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves positively and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated on their skills and experience, but also on how they are approaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates with fewer skills have a better chance of getting the job than dull candidates with better skills.

The ability to succeed where others are fallen is another important skill you have to possess if you're to be successful in your chosen career. This is known as "Job Survival". Now there's a hot topic in this period of layoffs. Who gets laid off and who doesn't is often a matter of numbers, but it is also often a matter of performance.

Employees who have consistently demonstrated their worth, taken initiative, and made themselves valuable asset to the company have lower incidences of being downsized than employees who put forth mediocre or average effort in their jobs. Surviving within a company through layoffs or moving up the career ladder is a success skill that is learned and consciously cultivated among successful professionals.

Taking part in a Professional Development program/training is another favor you can do to yourself to keep your head above the water in your chosen career.  As all high-tech and engineering pros know‚ it's learning or burn in today's work environment. Attaining new skills, applying new concepts, and updating established skills is an absolute necessity to succeed in today's workforce. The successful individual is constantly attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training on new products or releases, and otherwise learning new skills that will keep them marketable in their careers. Successful people are lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who have the training necessary to fulfill their needs.

Lastly, you have to engage in Career Development. Career Development differs from Professional Development. Professional Development is learning while Career Development is a planning and goal-setting process. Successful individuals design a career plan with written goals for the short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed to move their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame C and plan how they are going to achieve those steps. 

Successful people have someone to whom they are accountable, for their progress and who will monitor their success in achieving their goals. Employers are seeking individuals who wish to commit to the progress of their company for a long period. Good career progression is a high selling point of candidates to prospective employers.

How do you measure up? Do you have the 6 In-Demand Skills for Success? Feel like you need some help?

Send in your comment or any other information you would like to share with me. Expecting to read from you soon. please help me send your friends to this blog for regular updates on how to improve their lives. 

Thank you

Do you want to know more about how to be successful in your career? Let me introduce you to an ebook written by a professional Career Consultant Steve Austin. The title of his book is 

Career Success With Ease: What You Need To Know To Achieve Success In Your Career Adventure

How To Understand The Basic Characteristics of your Interviewer

How To Understand The Basic Characteristics of your Interviewer

Every individual has a specific situation bothering him/her in every individual life and your interviewers cannot be left out of this experience. 

However, If you can sense an interviewer's style and build rapport with them, you’ll have confidence in providing specific information that will give you an edge over your interviewers.

Listed below are the characteristics you should take note of in your interviewers:

1.     Inattentive: There is a time that the interviewer isn’t mentally present, maybe he/she is thinking of something more important or something happened before your interview that really bothered his/her mind. It’s impossible to impress this kind of interviewer that is distracted by something. Such an individual can equally purposely try to distract your attention to make you fail miserably. It’s very important for you to keep a good impression of yourself by smiling and don’t panic. At times a scenario of an impending crisis may be created to test your attitude or how you’re going tackle such a situation in your place of work. You may equally give your best approach and offer him/her to reschedule. But make sure to give a good account of yourself address to send him/her the right message and be prepared to attend the interview if rescheduled.

2.     Friendly: This is the type of interviewer that gives jokes, smiles, and tells you to take it easy on yourself. But he/she aims for you to put in a relaxed mind in such a way that you will then unconsciously expose too much information (ones that can be detrimental to your career) about yourself. You should be kind, and friendly but at the same always remember that you shouldn’t also get carried away doing this. Stick with your goal. Remember you’re not part of them yet. You should be wary of putting yourself in a tight corner where you wouldn’t be able to scale through the interview stage while pursuing your career.

3.     Interrogator: This is a typical type of interviewer that seems not to show any emotion and inflicts tension on the applicants. The best thing you can do is stay calm, focus, and show respect and confidence. This kind of interviewer observes how you can deal with this kind of scenario. And remember that most interrogator types of interviewers often became your best advocate throughout your interview process or even into the job. These types of interviewers are always hell-bent on making sure that the company employs the best candidates for the vacant position, though they may prove too strict and rigid once you put in your best, and believe that you can make it through.

4.     Laser Beam: This type of interviewer only focuses on one topic. Like discussing quotas, this style is for line managers. When you find yourself in this type of interview, you should make it a point of duty to fulfill his/her expectations of you. Satisfy his/her judgment and move on. Don’t derail or fidgety while responding to any question(s) being asked, because those questions are not meant to make sure that you fail it is just a clear indication that they are employing the best candidates for the job. See it in that direction and stay focused.

5.     Shotgun: This is the type that wants to discuss anything. The questions are all over the place, you even don’t have a vacant time because he/she is full of questions. This is where your anxious presentation really pays off because you can involve your strengths in many distinct exposures to the job. Your experience can give you an edge in this type of interview, but yet you must be very careful in answering not to derail while responding to questions asked.

6.     Silver Bullet: Believes there's one magic question to ask -- and one magic response that determines whether you're right for the job. The Silver Bullet asks a few hasty questions about your skills. Then ask “off-the-wall” questions, which are questions you didn’t even expect. Even though these questions don’t have a wrong answer he/she decides if it’s yes or no. Simply answer every question and don’t worry about your answers too much.

While preparing for an interview, you must try as much as possible to alter your approach to different situations you may find yourself in life and in which you may equally experience with your Interviewers: You should prepare yourself to step into a situation of power when you identify the interviewer's style and adjust your approach accordingly. As you prepare for the interview, ask yourself, "How might my answers be different for different interview styles?" 

With a Laser Beam, for example, you might offer him a choice when you begin answering a question ("Would you like to talk about this aspect of the job or that one?"). An achievement story for a friendly Interviewer might focus more on your teamwork skills, and the same story for an Interrogator Interviewer, because you might begin by stating the results of your individual work. The more you show your emotional knowledge by understanding the interviewer's objective for that interview, the more likely he'll be able to listen to you.

How To Discover Your Passion For Successful Career Adventure

How To Discover Your Passion For a Successful Career Adventure

Having a better understanding of what your passion, interest, likes, dislikes, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses are, is the right step in the right direction for an eventful career adventure. Then, if I may ask you, what are you passionate about? I didn’t ask if you are passionate. 

But what are you passionate about? What stirs your emotions? What is it you can’t stop talking about whenever someone asks: “What are you passionate about?”  What’s the fire in your belly? What really turns you on? What do you love doing most?

What is it that you love doing so much that you forget time? You forget others. You are so focused that you don’t hear anything. What is it that gets your creative juices going? What is it that you love more than anything else?

Some people are known to be passionate about books. They love reading them. And hence, those books are all placed in their respective homes on the shelves. Each of the books has a neighbor. These people fondle them and care for them. Place bookmarks in them and never fold the corner of their pages.

People like Florence Nightingale, Michael Jordan, and a host of other notable people have used their passion to benefit the world at large to the extent that even after they have stopped what they are passionate about people should not forget their contribution to mankind generally.  What about you? What is the deep-down passion that lights your life up? What is it that you love doing and being beyond all else?

Go on, you can tell yourself. There is no need to tell others. Just have a go and tell yourself what your passions are and discern what you can gain from doing such. What is that love that stirs you up - that love that others may not be interested in but is so important to you. What is it that makes you forget time? What is it that you love doing? We all have it. We all have at least one thing that we are passionate about. What’s yours?

The bottom line is; passion is motivating. Passion is more motivating than money.

Passion energizes and transforms you. When you are passionate about something then you enter that ‘flow’ state where time stands still. You are so focused. And, you are really in tune with yourself to get things done to the best of your knowledge.

Go on and try it. And GET IT DONE!!!

I wish you Good Luck.

Please don't forget to send in your comments.

Thank you

The importance Of Career Planning in Today's Turbulent Times

The Importance Of Career Planning in Today's Turbulent Times

The career planning process involved the ability to guide against the negativity that may occur at any particular point in time in an individual’s career path, which may undermine or prevent reaching the set objectives in an individual’s life. 

However, the current situation in the world economy especially the aftermath of global economic recession has made it very compulsory to be cocksure of the career planning process one is engaging in in order to meet up with the current challenges in the world of work. 

It is clearly evident nowadays, that what you were taught in school no longer applies to the job-searching skills needed in today’s market.  The rules have changed from the resume to the interview and conditions of work.   Don’t be caught with an “objective statement” on your resume, or asking the interviewer questions you should have researched on the web on your own.

  

Here are some hot tips for being a savvy career planner:

 Firstly, identify your top competencies, strengths, demonstration situations, and high-point stories. You need to know that different behaviors for different jobs are needed.  Today there are sophisticated career planning assessments on the market to help you identify your ideal work environment. It is important for you to become very familiar with your strongest skills.  Then, whether it is a resume, a job application, or a job interview, you’ll be able to articulate them succinctly and professionally.

Secondly, identify your competitive advantage – the single most important job search skill is your ability to communicate what you can do for a company!  When the hiring manager believes that you can help solve the type of problems they face, you dramatically increase your chances of being offered the job.  The fact is, companies will hire someone when they believe that the person will bring more value than they cost.

Thirdly, you should sell yourself using high-point stories and demonstrating your skills through examples such as your contribution towards solving a particular when you’re in college or your former place of work. Your accomplishments or achievements can be identified in your demonstration situations.  

Using accomplishments in your letters, resumes and interviews give a convincing picture of you in action.  Employers today want doers.  Not somebody that will promise to achieve what they cannot if given all the necessary incentives. 

Your high point story should illustrate a contribution that you made to something that had positive outcomes that you know if an opportunity to be given the job is handed to you, will no doubt be beneficial to the company must also be talked about.

the points listed above and many more will give you direction on how to channel your job-securing opportunities. Be meticulous about everything you need to stay away from as well and you are definitely on the right track to getting a job.

I wish you good luck,

Please kindly drop in your feedback to know more about how this post has added more value to you, 

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