The Comeback of the Aluminum Can Part 1

The Comeback of the Aluminum Can Part 1 The Comeback of the Aluminum Can Part 1 The Comeback of the Aluminum Can, Part 1Summers here and the time is right for cracking open an ice-cold can of ones favorite brew. For those who imbibe, nothing goes better with a day at the beach, on the links, or behind the mower than a cold beer. And for the past 60 summers, millions of beer lovers have been quaffing the golden elixir from 12-oz aluminum pop-top cans.As we commemorate the aluminum beverage cans 1958 debut, several factors are shaking up the current can market. On the up side, a growing embrace of cans by the nations surging craft brewing industry is driving sales of high-end microbrews and recycling the beer cans low-brow public image. On the uncertain side, new U.S. tariffs on imported aluminum sheet are causing the brewing industry to predict widespread job losses, brewery failures, and higher prices. We cant foretell the future, but we can take a look back at engineerings role in t he evolution of Americas iconic beer cans.Cans at a GlanceThose born after a certain date might not recognize this aluminum can pull tab. Image Wikimedia CommonsBeer has been packaged in metal cans since the end of Prohibition. The first company to make the switch welches Richmond, VA-based Gottfried Krueger Brewery, which in 1935 started selling two of its varieties in heavy-gauge steel cans weighing nearly 4 oz. Later that year, Pabst would take the can national, and the other major brewers swiftly followed suit. To open these early cans required the drinker to keep handy a church key, a once-familiar gadget with a pointed metal tip used to punch drinking and ventilation holes in the can top. To work around that inconvenience, later brewers developed cone-topped cans that were capped and could be opened like traditional bottles. However, the conical shape of the container made it more difficult than a flat top can for shipping and stacking and cone tops fizzled out by the end of t he 1950s.For You New Twist on an Old Tool A quantum shift in beer can production occurred in 1963 with the introduction of the self-opening pull tab can by Pittsburgh Brewing, maker of Iron City beer. The pull-tab caught on quickly and dominated the industry for at least 10 years. The only drawback what to do with the sharp-edged metal ring-tab assembly once the can was opened? Many people simply tossed them aside, leading to concerns over litter and the risk of injury. The industry responded with safer, litter-free opening technologies such as Coors push-button can and todays standard stay-tab design.All In for AluminumAluminums introduction to the canned beer market in 1958 was less than smooth. To commemorate Hawaiis impending statehood in 1959, Honolulu-based Hawaii Brewing Company decided to introduce a canned version of its Primo beer. The company grew interested in aluminum because the raw material was much lighter than steel and therefore cheaper to ship in from the mainland . The company invested in the earliest aluminum filling and packing equipment and successfully produced some 23,000 cases of 11-oz cans of Primo. However, according to Rustycans.com, a website for collectors, the company used a can-lining process that failed to block interaction between the beer and surrounding metal, effectively spoiling the contents. Reportedly unable even to give the skunked swill away, the company issued a recall and lurched toward its eventually bankruptcy. But this was merely a hiccup in aluminums inevitable rise to dominance after Coors brought all-aluminum packaging into the hauptrichtung in 1959.Aluminum cans help protect the beers quality and increase its shelf life because they were better than bottles at blocking out light and oxygen. Cans are also much cheaper to produce, store, and ship and are getting better all the time. For example, can-maker Ball Corporation (Broomfield, CO) says its cans now contain 40% less metal than they did in 1970, and about 70% of that is recycled material. Consumers like cans because they chill quickly, are easier to haul around, and are more convenient to recycle than glass bottles. And more recently, small regional craft brewers have readily embraced cans as a cost-effective means of expanding their market reach. In the process, they are helping to recycle canned beers low-brow public image as the drink of choice for Homer Simpson types who prize quantity over quality. Todays world-wide tipplers go through about 200 million aluminum cans a year. Thats a lot of dead soldiers. Brewers, however, promote aluminum as a more sustainable packaging choice than glass. According the Aluminum Association, used aluminum cans are nearly twice as likely to be recycled than glass or plastic containers.Read Part 2 of The Comeback of the Aluminum Can to learn more about the production process and new technologies surrounding aluminum cans.Michael MacRae is an independent writer.Read More3D Printing Trains Bomb-Snif fing DogsInsight from menschengerecht SightNew Process Embeds Coded Data on 3D-Printed Parts For Further Discussion

A Case for Cover Letters

A Case for Cover Letters A Case for Cover Letters Between updating your resume and searching for open punkts,the job hunt can be both a daunting and time-consuming endeavor. You may be tempted to skip the titelseite letter or even worse, send a templated titelblatt letter its imperative that you take full advantage of the unique opportunity to share your story.Below are just a few reasons why cover letters are critical to securing a first-round job interview, as well as some thoughts on how they can separate you from thecompetition.Cover Letters Allow You to Express YourselfUnless the job for which you are applying is in a creative field (e.g., designer, art director, etc.), your resume should notlage be the place to show off your personality. Save that for your cover letter.When applying for a position, your resume should include facts and figures. Much of your resume will be composed ofjob titles and succinct data points (e.g., I grew revenue by X percent in 2015). Cover letter s, on the other hand, are your opportunity to express yourself.Yourcover letter can show a company what type of person you are and what inspires you. It should tell the company how it will benefit from hiring you not what you want from the company. A Google search can tell employers things that they might find on your resume (i.e., awards, past jobs, education), but cover letters reveal information that employers may not be able to find online.Consequently, crafting a solid cover letter gives you the ability to impress the company with your writing skills, something that is valued in a wide variety of jobs. Not only does an eloquent cover letter build your personal brand, but it also shows your competence in matters of communication and style, thus increasing your options of securing an interview.A Great Cover Letter Sets You ApartIf you can capture the attention of the employerwith a well-written and thoughtful cover letter, they will remember you especially if your tone and writ ing style appeals to them. The best cover letters show that you took time to research the company, position, industry, and ways youcould contribute in that specific environment. Be sure to exhibit that youve done your research on both the company and the position, as this will be another differentiator when the employer is deciding upon which candidates will be given interviews.On the other hand, submitting a boilerplate cover letter will, more often than not, result in your resume heading straight to the recycle bin. Do not assume that one vague cover letter will be sufficient for all applications, or that businesses will not be able to tell that youve used the same cover letter for multiple applications. Youre better off not sending a cover letter at all than you are sending something generic.Cover Letters Allow You to Make a Case for YourselfIf you found a job listing, prepared your resume, and researched the company, then, at this point in the process, you should know the charac teristics, education, and job experiences the company is looking for in applicants. Cover letters allow you to make a case for yourself if you do not meet all the requirements.Instead of avoiding the listed requirements that you do not possess, you can address them head-on. This is your chance to tell your story, to explain why you would be a good candidate for the position, and to win the company over.For example, if you have held a variety of different jobs for short periods of time, worked nontraditional jobs, or lack experience, a cover letter could be incredibly helpful insecuring an interview. If you are applying for a job but have no business experience, employersmay be inclined to dismiss your application. However, you could explain in your cover letter that although you do not have business experience, you have lead a group of peers as the president of your sorority in college. This explanation could encourage employersto keep your resume in the stack of potential candidate s.Another example is if a company is looking for a future team member that has skills that you do not. Perhaps a company wants to hire a coder who knows a specific code language that you do not know. Instead of ignoring the requirement, you can explain in your cover letter that you know similar languages, or that you have taken a class in the specific language, therefore assuaging any doubt the company may have.Do not think that employers will not notice your lack of experience or that you have an unrelated college degree. In fact, they will notice and will think that you applied without even reading the job posting at all.If They Specifically Say No Cover Letters, Then No Cover LettersAlthough there are a lot of benefits to cover letters, some companies dont want them. If this is the case, then you do not have to submit a cover letter. Alternatively, if the company does not specify one way or the other, it never hurts to send a cover letter with your application.Cover letters take a lot of time, but they are well worth it. Put in the extra effort to do the research, personalize each letter, and call out important position requirements, and youll be happy with the resultsMeghann Isgan is an HR consultant working at One Click.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

8 Tips to Help You Disagree Without Being Disagreeable

8 Tips to Help You Disagree Without Being Disagreeable8 Tips to Help You Disagree Without Being DisagreeableI once walked into what I expected to be a fairly tense meeting, and the senior executive in the wrong pointed at me, and said I dont care what he says, I disagree. That was the first and only time Ive ever been disagreed with, without opening my mouth. While you will never come off in a positive light if you adopt the disagree before knowing what hell say tactic of the executive above, it is possible and necessary to express disagreement from time-to-time. Doing it properly and professionally, however, is critical to your success. This article offers ideas on how to navigate this sometimes awkward issue. When No One Disagrees Many firms and many workplace cultures discourage disagreement, particularly with senior management ideas and plans. Thats too bad. Because when a disagreement is suppressed, firms and teams end up making flawed decisions or following paths that no on e outside of the boss agrees with following. Whether senior leaders actively discourage disagreement or their (or your) management behaviors suggest that disagreement will not be tolerated, the suppression of ideas is part of the formula for failure. Foster a Collaborative Company Culture It is the leaders job to provide the vision for the group. A good executive must have a dream and the ability to get the company to support that dream. But it is not enough to merely have the dream. The leader must also provide the framework by which the people in the organization can help achieve the dream. It is called ?company culture.?? When your company culture allows people to challenge ideas, suggestions, and plans, you create an organization of thinking, committed people capable of producing the kind of neuheit and productivity required to succeed today. If your company culture does not allow for constructive dissent, if people who suggest alternatives are castigated for not being team players, you produce an environment of fear, stagnation, and antipathy. Not allowing appropriate dissent will kill your company. Allow for Discussion and Debate Youre asmart manager. You encourage your people to challenge you and suggest alternatives. But are you a good subordinate? Do you challenge your boss? Or do you sit back and protect your job by agreeing with everything the boss suggests? A mindless agreement wont protect your job, at least not for long. Every manager has a boss. Our responsibility to our bosses is, to be honest with them and to tell them what we think, even if we disagree. Perhaps especially if we disagree. You and your peersneedto discuss issues openly, frankly, and with the best interests of your area clearly visible. You need to give the boss as much information and as many options as possible. Dont be afraid to fight hard for what you believe to be right. Be professional about it, but be candid too. However, once the boss has made a decision, the di scussion and dissent must stop. Once the decision has been made, you have an obligation to support your boss in that decision. You expect it of your people you should do no less. 8 Tips to Help You Disagree Without Being Disagreeable You think your sttte is right. You want what is best for your people. You want things done in the way that works best for your department. So you argue your points strongly. Thats good, but dont overdo it. You wont win every battle. After all, your boss is looking after the best interest of his or her entire organization, not just your part of it. Instead of establishing a reputation as a stubborn naysayer, try these tactics to help you disagree without being disagreeable Ask clarifying questions about the proposal in front of you. Make certain you and others clearly understand the issue before you voice your objections.Assess the framing of the issue. If the situation was positioned as a solution to a problem, try and encourage the team to think ab out solutions as if the issue were a potential benefit. If you frame the same issue as either a positive or negative, you may very well develop a completely unique solution for each situation.Strive to understand the assumptions behind the current position or idea. Listen carefully and if you hear a flawed assumption, politely suggest that it be reviewed. Dont make your disagreement personal, focus on the business issues at hand. No one appreciates a personal attack. Instead of suggesting yours is the only answer, position it as an option to be considered.When describing your approach, treat the other idea respectfully, while carefully describing the benefits that yours offers above and beyond the other approach.Ask for an opportunity to prove your case with a trail run of your idea. Many executives will appreciate the spirit of giving someone a shot to prove their point. Dont expect to win them all You are in a marathon, not a sprint. The Bottom Line It is important to foster a culture in your company where differing opinions are encouraged. Be certain as a manager that you are not overtly or inadvertently suppressing the free exchange of ideas. If everyone always agrees with you, its a sign that people are not comfortable sharing their true views. And most of all, learn to disagree without positioning it as a life and death issue and alienating people in the process. After all, no one wants to be that executive mentioned in the opening of this article. Updated by Art Petty