Many people are scared to death of job interviews. After all, there’s a lot riding on the line when you show up for your appointment. It’s not only about doing well in the interview and securing the job offer, but you also have a lot of questions about the salary, benefits,  job description, how well your employment background fits into the particular job you’re applying for – and much more. Plus, some people get really nervous and worry about saying the wrong thing, keeping eye contact, answering questions with conviction – the list goes on and on.

But there’s one more thing most people worry about when it comes to being hired: and that’s when the interviewer says, “well, we’d like to offer you the job pending an employment background check.” That’s the point where the applicant’s eyes glaze over and realize that an employment background check was something they never even thought about. The worry begins – what will they find? What’s in my past that could prevent me from getting hired? The point is, not knowing what employers look for can be problematic. So you need to get proactive and find out what employment background checks are all about, and prepare for one before it’s done.

Background Checks 101: All You Need to Know

What do employers look for in a background check? The more you know, the better prepared you will be. An employment background check is basically a deep dive into your work history, educational background, criminal background, credit history, driving record, medical issues, social media use, and more. The employer wants to know if they’re hiring the one who you say you are, or if they’re hiring someone with a dark history that could end up being a huge liability to the company. In this era of litigation, employers simply can’t take you at your word.

In case you have had bankruptcies, you probably wouldn’t be applying for a job in finance or accounting. If you’ve posted on social media that you like to party, and what you thought of as humorous photos of you passed out there, that might be a job killer. In fact, statistics show that 50% of job applicants were turned down because of what they had posted on social media. More problematic would be if the background check uncovered a criminal past, or a large gap in your employment history that you can’t explain. Those are red flags to many employers, and they might rescind the job offer if it has been made.

You have to realize that anything and everything in your past is fair game in an employment background check. In case you have nothing to worry about, then stop worrying. If you think there might be some problems, get proactive before the employment check begins.

Check for Accuracy

Even if you think you’re “all clear” regarding a background check,  it still pays to check information about yourself for accuracy. In these days of identity theft and fraud, you want to be sure your name isn’t associated in any way with a negative profile. A lot of information comes from Google, which scours the Internet for anything to do with your name. They only report what they find, and often their first stop is people search sites, which publish information about you.

Check those sites for accuracy – and delete all personal information and opt out.

Checking on people search sites is the right place to start, but they’re not the only places to check. You need to look for websites that may have information about you, like former employers, sites you posted articles or whitepapers on, or blogs you’ve uploaded. And since many employment background checks include credit history, it’s a good idea to run your credit bureau report with one of the 3 top credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax or TansUnion. You’re also entitled to a free online credit report each year, so be sure to make use of it.

This is particularly important because of the huge rise in different types of identity theft, synthetic and IRS identity theft being only two examples. Cybercrooks can easily take your personal information and glue it with fictitious information to develop a phony identity. In case your data is used as part of it, you might show up as a criminal in a background check, which is exactly what you don’t want! This fraud may also affect your credit scores and even your medical history.

Additional Proactive Strategies

Employment background checks are really quite thorough, so if there’s something with your name attached to it, they’ll find it. Use this to your advantage. If you don’t have a website, create one and start uploading articles that relate to the industry you’re seeking employment in. The more you post, the better. Also, because LinkedIn is the most popular B2B site for professionals, make sure you have a presence there. Post articles, get colleagues to follow you as well as like and share your articles — whatever you can do to boost your LinkedIn profile, the better off you’ll be.

Bottom line: be prepared! Use the information above to know what employers are looking for when conducting an employment background check, and then do whatever is necessary to proactively ensure the accuracy of information about you, while boosting your profile on key sites.

There are lots of people who meet the love of their lives early on in life, but there are many others who have to dig a little deeper to find that perfect soulmate. Some people try to meet people by going out and mixing in the right circles, while others turn to platforms such as dating site to try and connect with others. There are also those who are happy for friends or family members to set them up on a blind date in the hope that this could be that special person they have been looking for.

Going on a blind date can be fun and exciting, and there are lots of people who are willing to give it a go. However, it is only natural that you want to find out a little more about the person before you meet them, for safety reasons and peace of mind among other things. This is where people search tools can come in very useful, as they allow you to find people fast online and you can then learn more about the person you are set up to meet for a date. In this article, we will look at why this is a great idea.

Why You Should Do Your Research

There are many reasons why you should do a little research before meeting up with someone on a blind date. The good news is that doing this type of research is easier than ever these days, as you have access to the internet, which could hold a wealth of information about the person you are meeting. Some of the reasons you should consider doing this include:

Peace of Mind

One of the reasons you should do this type of check before heading out on a blind date is for your own peace of mind. Naturally, you want to ensure that the person you are meeting is not a questionable person with a worrying history. Well, with these checks, you can find out more about factors such as their criminal history. In addition, you can find out about things such as whether they are a homeowner or have been declared bankrupt. Information such as this can provide you with greater peace of mind when it comes to going on a blind date.

Getting in Touch

Another reason you might want to conduct this type of search is to enable you to get in touch with the person and have a chat before your date if you wish to do this. This is made far easier with these searches, as you can find out contact information such as their phone number of email address, and this means that you could drop them a text or an email, or even give them a call if you want to.

Feeling More Prepared

Finally, doing this type of search will make it easier for you to feel more prepared for your blind date. The wealth of information you can find out means that you will far more confident about the blind date, as you will know more about the person.

These are some of the ways in which doing an online search can help. 

Whether online or not, all slot machines are based on the same principle. You spin the reels and hope for that long-awaited jackpot to come your way. Although winning largely depends on luck and apart from persistence there’s not much you can do, it is not impossible. However, the odds are fixed, and do not go up or down no matter how much you play. They do differ depending on the machine, though, and although they look identical, slot machines are different in so many ways, starting from the probability of winning to their overall theme and appearance. 

Since you can’t tell how likely you are to win just by looking at them, the question remains – how do you choose the one for you. Well, all you can do here is judge a book by its cover, i.e. pick the one that appeals to you the most, visually. Let’s take some time to see how the casino industry has developed regarding themes and overall digital experience designed to attract and entice.

Fruit slots – an oldie that never goes out of style

Probably the first thing that pops to mind when thinking of slot machines are the cherries, lemons and sevens spinning endlessly to make all kinds of combinations. Although the casino industry has come a long way since they made their debut, they are still abundant and one of the players’ favourites. 

This is why many game designers have kept these famous slot symbols and expanded the games around them. They have even added story plots to the fruity experience with added features and multipliers. They have even gone to the lengths of making 3D slots with sci-fi elements, still not giving up on the fruit. Just goes to show that there truly is something for everyone in the sea of slot games. 

Some Fruit Themed Slots are:

•         Fruit Shop
•         Quick Hit
•         Power Stars
•         Burning Hot
•         Winterberries

Holiday themes

Make every day a holiday with holiday-themed slots. It seems that there’s a catchy theme for every holiday so you can bring about the festive Christmas spirit in the middle of July or enjoy Halloween digital decor in spring. If you’re playing high variance slots (the ones with higher, but rarer jackpots), the time will go by much faster if you’re enjoying the digital festive season.  

Hopeless romantics won’t be able to resist Valentine’s day slots since they are brimming with popular characters in their most romantic moments surrounded by heart-shaped symbols. The romantic trend in slot design is growing with the number of interest female players show in games of chance. 

Beauty and fashion-themed slots

Speaking of the interest ladies have started increasingly showing, slot themes have expanded towards beauty and fashion, besides romance. Designers have started exploring a yet untapped source of inspiration, combining the reels with the themes ladies will adore. 

So far, these are the most popular in the romantic genre:

• Cosmopolitan
• Ladies Night
• High Fashion
• Beauty Salon
• Peek Physique

Movie-themed slots

Timeless movie classics have found their way to the slot machines as well. They are amongst the post popular too, since casino visitors associate strong emotions with their favorite flicks, and thus are very likely to choose a game of chance with the characters that made them laugh, cry or both. 

If you are a classics fan you might feel drawn to a slot machine featuring the elegance and adventure of the famous agent 007, whose many scenes take place in some of the world’s most popular casino venues. Or perhaps you like a more cheerful note and will choose the Wizard of Oz theme. A Sci-Fi fan? Why not try your luck at Star Wars slots? However, today you can find those only in their online versions since Disney took the machines out of circulation after buying the franchise in 2012. 

But the flicks that have taken the spotlight both on-screen and in slot machine design are superhero movie releases. Batman, Supermen, X-men, the Avengers – you name it; they’ve all earned their place featuring the ever-popular reels.

History-themed slots

The ancient world has won the popularity contest when it comes to slots featuring historical places and events. Caesar and Cleopatra, the Aztecs, the mighty Sphinx of Giza, even the great civilizations’ mythology (especially the Greek and the Norse) has found its way to a casino. 

The history you’ll witness within a slot design is very carefully thought out to ignite the players’ imagination using sounds, symbols and music which spins the yarn of many historical events, going as far as back to the Stone Age.

The takeaway

In this digital day and age, slot enthusiasts know they can and will find literally anything that tickles their fancy, if not in a brick-and-mortar establishment, then online for certain. The slot game designers are ceaselessly doing their best to make your stay at your chosen slot as pleasant as possible, luring you into the digital adventure while you chase the jackpot of a lifetime. 

A common misconception about audio transcription is that it’s a simple and straightforward process. On the contrary, effectively transcribing audio requires skill, patience, and attention to detail. Not only are you logging potentially life-altering information, but you’re also doing so with the added obstacles of multiple speakers, at times potentially speaking over one another, and unclear audio that’s of poor quality. 

In order to transcribe an interview precisely and efficiently, you’ll need to be organized, prepared, and ready for the unexpected. Below are 5 tips for effectively transcribing an interview. 

Prepare for Problems

Of course, ideally, there won’t be a single issue or obstacle in your interview transcription. But the first step in any transcribing task should be to have preparations in place just in case you do encounter problems.

Consider your strengths and weaknesses. Are you a skilled typist? Have you allocated enough time to stay productive and precise with your transcription? Preparing for things that may slow you down gives you the opportunity to implement the necessary preparations to deal with them quickly should they occur. 

Stop and Listen Before You Transcribe 

The next step is to take the time to stop and just listen to the audio. Nothing else. Taking the time to listen before you begin transcribing gives you a better understanding of the content. By listening all the way through, you can identify what the main issues could be. 

You’ll be better prepared by knowing details beforehand such as accents, the number of speakers, and any confusing moments such as people speaking over one another or complicated language that you don’t understand. 

Have the Best Tools at Hand

Because you’ve stopped and taken the time to listen, you’re now able to get the necessary tools to transcribe your interview effectively. 

In general, any skilled transcriber will need a good keyboard and computer with access to quality headphones that can pick up on little details and volume changes in tone and voice. 

If transcribing audio is something you’re looking to do more of, you may want to invest in reputable transcription software. While free versions of these tools exist, it’s best to stick to quality software depending on the importance of the transcription. 

Consider the Best Way to Identify Each Speaker

Poor quality recordings or several people speaking at the same time can be difficult to log. In order to separate and identify each speaker in the recording, take some time to consider what the goal of the transcription is, and what industry it’s within. 

The standard practice of identifying people whenever they speak may not always be the most effective method. In fact, time-stamping the interview audio in three-minute intervals may be more convenient and useful, with additional time stamps included that highlight crucial details. 

Type a Rough Draft, Then Hone It

Rough drafts don’t have to be perfect, and there’s no pressure to get it exactly right, which offers you freer and faster typing. Accuracy isn’t the goal of a rough draft. Instead, it gives you a blueprint to edit down and hone into a more concise and relevant transcription. 

Once you’ve edited and honed your rough draft, revisit the audio and make sure your edits are accurate and in line with the recording itself. When you’re certain of the attention to detail after this additional listen and edit, you can begin to format it into your final interview transcript. 

One of the things that we experience in many of the online multiplayer games is toxicity or toxic gamers. Especially in competitive video games, where everyone has to compete against each other. This has grown out to be one of the major issues in recent years and we can see many major game developers taking action against these as they turn the whole game into some non-playable mess.

But why do gamers become toxic in video games? Well, in this article I am going to share my own personal experience and theories as to why gamers turn toxic in video games.

What is Video Game Toxicity?

Before we jump into the why part of the question, we first need to know what actually is toxicity in video games. Generally, it is when gamers tend to have negative behavior towards other gamers, most of the time. The examples of toxicity in video games can be found in the global chat of the game, or the lobbies where everyone talks about their game experience and make strategies.

Nowadays, in many games, mostly the competitive titles, the chats are flooding with hate messages against each other. The most popular games that fall into that category is League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Valiant. They get to an extent where the developers get forced to come up with new systems to punish the offenders, these punishments tend to somewhat restrain gamers from engaging in fights with each other. But that is hard to stop, players are buying CSGO accounts and even the Riot-supported games that are Valorant accounts and LoL accounts. If there’s demand for it, people will deliver.

Why Do Gamers Become Toxic?

Now that we know what toxicity is, let’s talk about where it comes from and how these gamers end up being toxic. The reason why I am using the term become is because I believe most gamers aren’t toxic by nature. There are a ton of reasons why many gamers tend to become hostile towards each other. One of the reasons is using games to suppress their stress and emotions. I have been through these situations where we feel angry and stressed out and we use games as a way to escape all that.

But the problem is they don’t actually release all our stress and anger, but some of it gets bottled up and when it keeps happening for some time, we end up exploding on other gamers in the game, it can be easily triggered by the tiniest mistake. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some gamers who are by nature, bullies and that’s all they know.

Then there are some games that take the whole competitive scene to the next level and that’s when many players end up getting hostile with each other and it just kills the buzz for all the other players in the team as well.

There are games like Rust being heavily criticized for having a large number of toxic players in the game. That’s something that has made it quite punishing for a new player who is just starting off its adventure. However, there are methods you can cope with such as buying an old rust account, so you are not an easy target.

My point being, there are a number of factors that make a game toxic, some of which can be controlled by introducing penalties and punishment for being toxic in the game.