How to Tell a Prospective New Employer About Your Planned Vacation

How to Tell a Prospective New Employer About Your Planned Vacation How to Ask for Time off Before Youve Even Got the JobNeed to request time off before youve even landed the job? It can feel awkward, but heres how to score your dream job AND your dream vacation.Youve been planning your dream vacation for months. Everything is scheduled your flight, your hotel, your activities, your meals, even your Instagram posts youre ready to go.The only thing in your way? A potential new job.It might feel awkward asking for time off from a job before youre even officially hired, but unless youre willing to cancel your plans (which you shouldnt have to do), youll need to bring it up.Dont worry too much. If youre lucky, your hiring manager will ask you if you have any time off planned, which could also include a week-long staycation between jobs. If youre not asked, though, youll need to know how to tell a prospective new employer about your planned vacation thoughtfully.Use unterstellung tips to help you score your dream job and keep your dream vacation (or staycation)1. Convince them youre the perfect fitThe company youre interviewing with doesnt have to let you take time off. Thats why its important to convince the team youre the absolute perfect fit for the job.Build your personal brand, perfect your elevator pitch, and polish your resume. Remember to tailor your resume to the job listing and pack it with relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences.Then, when it comes to talking about taking time off, youll have convinced them they cant hire anyone else, so pushing the start date back or allowing you a few days off wont hurt.2. Nail the timingUnless the employer broaches the topic, dont bring up your vacation plans during the start of the interview process. This is something youll want to discuss later on, closer to the job offer when the hiring manager starts discussing logistics. Listen for, When can you start? Once the hiring manager asks this question, then you should bring up your pre-planned vacation. Its not uncommon for hiring managers to ask, so be prepared to answer at any time throughout the interview process.If your prospective employer didnt ask this question, another great time to mention your vacation is when they are reviewing the companys benefits package with you.3. Dont apologize or ask permissionWhen it comes to asking for time off before a new job, exude confidence. Instead of asking if its OK to take a vacation, simply state that you already have a trip planned. This isnt an unheard of dilemma employers should know how to handle these situations. Its simply a matter of how you state it.Dont let the employer try to talk you out of your vacation, either. If thats the case, you might want to consider if the companys culture is a good fit for you.4. Keep it short and sweetIf youre nervous about asking for time off before starting your new job, jot down a quick script. Your request doesnt have to be more than two sentences. H ere are a few examplesBecause were discussing start dates, I wanted to let you know I have a trip planned from September 23 to September 29. Im happy to start that following Monday.Since were on the topic of vacation days, I wanted to let you know I have a trip planned for the month after my tentative start date. Can you explain what the companys time-off policy looks like and how this will be handled?Once youve shared this information, wait to landsee how your point of contact responds. Theres no need to give too many details or justify your plans.Final words of adviceBreathe Youve already done everything you can to sell yourself as a solid candidate. When a hiring manager begins discussing start dates, you know youre close to a job offer, so proceed with confidence.The best way to ask for vacation time before starting a new job is to simply be straightforward and honest. And remember that this is an understandable situation, so dont be afraid to just ask.Need some help finessing y our resume so you can get everything you want when it comes to a job offer? Start with a free resume review.Recommended ReadingAsk Yourself These Questions Before You Accept the Job Offer3 Ways to Boost Your Online Personal Brand and Attract Job Offers4 Subtle Ways to Evaluate a Companys Culture During Your InterviewRelated Articles

The Basics of Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf

The Basics of Trends in Resume Writing 2015 portable document format Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf Is Wrong INCLUDE THE BASICS Much like with your resume, you are going to want to include standard info, and a few unique aspects about yourself. Youll either compose a generic resume or you will get into too many specifics. Your site should be a place wherever your clientele or customers can discover the information they will need to produce a purchasing choice. Even more, resume isnt a book and you should place only the most relevant information at the same page. Top Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf Choices Its better to read up on the job requirements and responsibilities, so that you may align your answers based on what they are trying to find. Job applicants are finally realizing theyre able to enhance their odds of finding the interview call should they hire a writer to finish or enhance their resume. Dont make the error of answering each job posting with the exact same generic resume. Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf - Is it a Scam? For one, it takes an amazing amount of hard work to graduate at the peak of the class from just about any law school. The peak of your resume should consist of critical keyword phrases and a fast snapshot of your core strengths, Leavy-Detrick states. The library utilizes the Palette class. The Styled Text option is a great timesaver on an undertaking. Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf the Ultimate Convenience A HR manager may take just a few seconds to scan the peak of your resume before choosing which pile to set you in. Hiring manager arent on the lookout for resume only, its really essential for them whats going on around you, what can you do for living and several different aspects you wont ever increase your resume. The hiring manager will search for the candidates with the core skills necessary for the particular job. Perhaps you know that or not, but ski lled hiring manager needs up to ten seconds to comprehend who you are and whats your cost. Dont forget, your resume should concentrate on what you could offer your employer, not vice versa. Mainly because the majority of the letter isnt about the business, its about you. Put simply, it caters to the requirements of students and job applicants from several nations. Whatever They Told You About Trends in Resume Writing 2015 Pdf Is Dead Wrong...And Heres Why These days, however, that formatting rule isnt too hard fast. From a handwritten introduction to a crisp a couple of page document, the advertising document has come a very long way. You may read more about the procedure for creating your value known inside my latest article. To start with, you dont consider the formatting of your documents. Today, its one of the most significant portions of the work search approach. Job search is mucksmuschenstill personal. Some job seekers do understand that in some instances, the v ery first impression may be the vital factor of the success. An increasing number of job seekers only now understand all of the value they might get from alternative job search sources. In your case, it may be an infographic resume, which youre going to create utilizing some well-known tools. Everything on your website needs to be something that your intended audience (whether that be a possible employer or an expected client) would want to see. Speaking about today, personal sites, visual CV and internet presence on various on-line mediums are utilized to promote your private brand. There are some individuals who provided great aid in receiving the Indiegogo campaign ready to go.

Leasing Consultant Resume Tips & Guide

vermietung Consultant Resume Tips & Guide Finding Leasing Consultant Resume Lease consultants have to be excellent communicators with strong customer support, sales and personal interaction abilities. Its fast and simple to use. Participate in training as a way to comply with new or present laws. Whatever They Told You About Leasing Consultant Resume Is Dead Wrong...And Heres Why Indeed isnt a career or bestandgabe advisor and doesnt guarantee resumes interviews or offers. A Leasing Consultant is occasionally called a Leasing Agent. In some cases, they will need to operate a property golf cart to show residences to potential customers. An established verpachtung consultant shows you the ropes and supplies you with the experience you must turn into a critical candidate. Apart from interpersonal and organizational abilities, a consultant must also have enough understanding of computers. Even in the event that you dont have a good deal of experience in an office, you mos t likely have many different activities below your belt that have contributed to your abilities and knowledge. Come back to your list of important abilities and see what skills youve got. It is very important to highlight your skills, and you are finished. The Leasing Consultant Resume Stories If youre utilizing the USAJOBS application, all you need to do is certainly sign in the machine and click the Application Status connection. Is actually necessary that you select the ideal job application format if youre writing the application for fresher applicant. You might prefer to create headings like Skills, Strengths or Interests and checklist info and facts that is going to be highly related to the work youre obtaining. Utilize closing and request the application. Your work software will be to the idea because an expert knows the ideal approach to create it in the ideal quality. At this time you have the experience. To tell the truth, one doesnt need to dwell on lack of exp erience. Too many times each prospect shows up and the consultant isnt ready and scrambles to find everything ready. In a moment, you will observe an ideal consultant resume. The Birth of Leasing Consultant Resume Our job application contractor is certainly the quickest approach to create a work application that will assist you to receive your fantasy job. Your leasing consultant job description should have a combo of administrative and advertising duties for a very clear picture of the position. Since it shows you can find the business done. Youre requesting a specific job. The Most Popular Leasing Consultant Resume With a mixture of your academic performance, extracurricular activities, internships and personality, youre going to be in a position to discover an employer whod like to hire you. No matter your degree of work knowledge, your resume structure is crucial to making your program stick out. Any sort of managerial resume should be high quality. Ensured complete s atisfaction on the portion of consumers concerning the presentation practice. Following up is not feasible, Kosnikowski stated. You want to go for a work application template which can help you make a great first impression, even before people start reading. The Little-Known Secrets to Leasing Consultant Resume You have to reveal the possible employer you could supply them with what they require. Once you get your curriculum vitae group set up, after that it is possible to make modifications in the form of deletions or maybe additions as per any particular requirement. In some instances, a work publishing may possibly generate a couple hundred resumes. Several formats and designs readily available, Curriculum vitae Now-Resume contractor is the best spot to make job earning resumes. Naturally, leasing agents should have a lot of support once it comes to getting apartments leased, and teamwork plays a critical role in success. The apartment decorating is quite a challenging process with units that arent too broad as it landed house necessitates arrangement meets. Starting out in the work market isnt always simple, but with a terrific entry level apartment leasing consultant resume template, you will discover that its much simpler. If youre a true estate fan and possess the skills to help renters with finding that perfect house, we are searching for you Although a lot of employers do not demand certifications, it would arrive in handy once you are trying to get for career advancement. Creative businesses recognize creative applicants and wish to engage a whole package, not simply a few isolated skills. To learn more on what it requires to be a Leasing Consultant, have a look at our complete Leasing Consultant Job Description. Career opportunities are readily available. Using Leasing Consultant Resume As a Leasing Consultant, you require a diversified mixture of hard and soft skills if you need to be successful in your profession. To find out more on what it requires to be a Leasing Consultant, have a look at our complete Leasing Consultant Resume Description. Sometimes the Leasing Consultant is going to be requested to lease an empty lot or cellular homes. An effective Leasing Consultant is somebody who delivers results by capitalizing on their assets. You will see more than 50 templates to choose from. The template isnt really hard to follow, and you might begin straight away. 1 template is sufficient to print CV documents for all your interviews with numerous companies. The templates are simple to customize to an exemplary level, and thus you dont will need to be worried about your continue looking just like anybody elses.

7 Habits of Highly Likeable People

7 Habits of Highly Likeable People7 Habits of Highly Likeable PeopleEveryone wants to be well-liked its in our nature as people. But its hard to pinpoint what exactly it is that makes us more likeable. Is it a magic charisma that attracts people to us? Or maybe being outgoing and friendly? Or having an agreeable personality that doesnt put people off? Though there are plenty of theories floating around about what makes someone well-liked, here are seven things that well-liked people always do- and that you can do today to make yourself a more likeable and magnetic person.1. Dont JudgeNo one likes being judged, but it can often be difficult to avoid judging the actions of the people we work with or who work for us. And as much as we may try to disguise our judgement, our physical responses can be pretty transparent. Well-liked people know this, and instead of trying to hide it, they make the conscious choice to leid judge others. If they are managers or supervisors, they make rational decisions about people based on data and results, not emotional reactions to personalities. In addition, they have accepted the fact that they cant, and shouldnt, try to control or to change the lives or opinions of others.2. Get PersonalWell-liked people have mastered the delicate dance of getting personal without getting too personal, especially in a work environment. They break down walls by getting real- telling you about their issues and problems but without dwelling on them. They also tell you about the good things happening in their lives, without bragging or trying to look good. Their genuine willingness to be vulnerable and to take things to a personal level naturally attracts people to them.3. Ask People About ThemselvesRather than spending an entire conversation talking about themselves, well-liked people instead put the focus on the people theyre with. If you dont bother to ask questions about the person youre with, or give the person a chance to talk about him or herse lf, youll put the person off by clearly demonstrating that you care more about making yourself look good than actually getting to know the other person. Well-liked people know that people enjoy talking about themselves, and they ask questions to prompt them to do just that- building stronger relationships and their own likeability.4. ListenTheres no point in asking questions if you arent going to listen. Active listening- where you respond to what people are saying with timely verbal and nonverbal prompts, conversation reinforcements, and questions- is a skill that well-liked people have mastered. And they make a point of not looking at their smartphones or computer screens while theyre talking to someone else. This makes the other person feel important, which builds your likeability.5. RememberOf course, to remember, you must first be a good listener. Think about a time when your babo remembered something important in your life- a childs graduation, or your upcoming birthday or wed ding anniversary. Likeable people remember things about those they work with, and they make sure they let those people know that they remember. Listening and remembering shows that you value your conversations and time spent with other people, which in turn leads them to value their time spent with you.6. Dont Take Yourself Too SeriouslyAt appropriate times, likeable people joke, laugh, and are just plain fun to be around. Who doesnt want to be around someone who can share a good laugh? They have unorthodox business meetings, and they like to surprise the people they work with. Youll meet at the office one day and at the baseball field the next. These people know the importance of lighthearted fun on the job, and they try to incorporate it into their daily life, at work and at home.7. Be HospitableLikeable people know the meaning of hospitality, and they arent afraid to invite you into their office or even their home for a meal, a meeting, or a cup of coffee. Opening up your office to someone is an act that never goes unnoticed, and opening up your home to someone is like opening your heart to that person.If you arent already doing these things in your business life, try taking on a few, and watch how quickly the people around you respond. You might be surprised at just how likeable you can be with just a few changes in the way you treat others.More From Inc.3 Ways to Make a Genuine Impact Simply by Saying ThanksWhat Working From Home Really Means6 Ways to Make Time Your FriendPhoto of man with balloon courtesy of Shutterstock.

Describe your worst people nightmare. Describe what it cost you

Describe your worst people nightmare. Describe what it cost youDescribe your worst people nightmare. Describe what it cost youDescribe your worst people nightmare. Describe what it cost you.Thats the assignment historian Nancy Koehn gives the students in her leadership class at the Harvard Business School. When I interviewed Nancy for the first episode of our new season of the FRICTION podcast, she explained most leaders she teaches and coaches are adept at the technical aspects of management. What blindsides them, brings down their teams and organizations, gets them fired, and keeps them up at night are those complicated, unpredictable, and emotional people who they lead, follow, and otherwise are responsible for influencing, inspiring, and sometimes, discouraging and defeating.Nancys latest book Forged in Crisis dissects how five courageous leaders navigated, persisted, suffered, and succeed in the face of extreme obstacles. People nightmares - and why and how those courageous lea ders overcame and avoided such messes - are center stage throughout the book. Skill and sensitivity pertinent to the human side of leadership pervades explorer Earnest Shackletons heroic efforts to save his shipwrecked crew President Abraham Lincolns wisdom as he led the Union during the U.S. Civil War abolitionist Fredrick Douglass campaign against slavery and other racist oppressions clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffers effective resistance to the Nazis during World War II and activist Rachel Carsons writing, publicity efforts, and speaking - which helped launch and propel the environmental movement in the 1960s.I was struck by three lessons during my conversation with Nancy on the FRICTION podcast. The first is how she defined the word leader given her focus on courage and effectiveness. Nancy turned to a surprising source The late novelist David Foster Wallace (best known as the author of Infinite Jest). In a Rolling Stone article that Wallace wrote in 2000 about John McCains presid ential campaign, he pointed out the word leader is a boring a cliche - our eyes glaze over when we hear the term. Wallace added, however, that real leaders arent boring at all, because they help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own. Those are the kind of leaders that Forged in Crisis is about - they overcome friction, frustration, and fatigue by somehow inducing their followers (and themselves too) to become more resolute, stronger, and smarter rather than to flee, flounder, and lose hope.That kind of leadership, for example, is evident in the many ways that Fredrick Douglass rallied support against slavery, gave hope to the enslaved, and provided direct assistance to escaped slaves who sought freedom. Douglass gave compelling speeches that inspired and recruited abolitionists he published the North Star, a weekly serial that included antisl avery speeches, news from recent abolitionist meetings, and editorials and he helped fugitive slaves who escaped via the Underground Railroad. Douglas and his wife Anna offered food, clothing, lodging, and advice to weary fugitives who arrived on the doorstep of his home and office in Rochester, New York. By battling slavery and mobilizing others in so many large and small ways, Douglass pushed and persuaded abolitionists and slaves to overcome their limitations and do better, harder things.Second, a hallmark of those courageous leaders is that each suffered through stretches where they stepped back, felt defeated, or descended into a state of despair (and in some cases, like Lincoln, probably suffered episodes of clinical depression). Nancy emphasizes that even the best leaders suffer through stretches of self-doubt and exhaustion. Along the way, however, they come to understand how to dampen their flaws and accentuate their strengths - in part, by finding and working with others who can fill the leadership gaps they create, restore their flagging spirits, compensate for their weaknesses, and accentuate their strengths.In the cold opening to the podcast, I ask Nancy, If you had a magic wand and could change things about modern leaders, what would you pick? She answers Pry them open and make them come face-to-face with their own vulnerability. As Ive written elsewhere, developing such self-awareness depends on people who will tell you the truth about your missteps and blind spots - and you can listen to and learn from. For example, thats what Clementine Churchill did for her husband Winston when he was Prime Minister of England during darkest days of World War II.Third, Nancy emphasizes that to make progress against severe friction - as all her courageous leaders did - youve got acknowledge the difficulty of the situation to both yourself and your followers. To paraphrase, Nancy says, otherwise, it is like sailing the ocean without acknowledging there will be large waves and strong headwinds. That is why the courageous leaders she studied each, in some way or another, realized they couldnt succeed alone, that they had to get beyond their narcissistic selves and go from I to thou. They each recruited similarly unselfish helpers, followers, and fellow leaders. For Lincoln, this included recruiting and fomenting healthy conflict within the team of rivals in his cabinet. For Rachel Carson, this meant relying on a diverse collection of scientists, biologists, fisherman, editors, publishers, journalists, and politicians who helped her write Silent Spring and launch the modern environmental movement. As Nancy suggests, none of the heroic leaders she studied were solo supermen. Each was adept and mobilizing and motivating others to join and bolster a common cause. These five leaders also worked to understand and develop empathy for their enemies - because it was useful for undermining and defeating them.This post just provides a taste of Na ncys interview on the FRICTION podcast. You can find topics and guests here for all 12 episodes of our second season. You can listen to Nancys episode, subscribe to Season 2, and listen to the 11 episodes from Season 1 on iTunes or Stitcher.Bob Sutton is aStanford Professorwho studies and writes about leadership, organizational change, and navigating organizational life. Follow me on Twitterwork_matters, and visit mywebsiteand posts onLinkedIn. My latest book isThe Ahole Survival Guide How To Deal With People Who Treat You Like Dirt.Before that, I publishedScaling Up Excellencewith Huggy Rao.My main focus these days is on working with Huggy Rao to develop strategies and tools that help leaders and teamschange their organizations for the better - with a particular focus onorganizational friction.Check out my Stanford FRICTION Podcastat iTunesorSticher.Thisarticlefirst appeared on LinkedIn.

7 Companies With Impressive Mentorship Programs

7 Companies With Impressive Mentorship Programs7 Companies With Impressive Mentorship Programs If youre not already thinking about finding a mentor , its time you start. Research suggests that mentorships can improve a mentees career outcomes , leading to greater career satisfaction, more promotions and even higher compensation. But while you can always ask somebody to be your mentor, not every company has a structure in place to lead to truly impactful mentorship opportunities.Fortunately, the following seven companies understand the importance of mentorships, and have made it a priority to develop programs that allow them to flourish. As a bonus, theyre all hiring - check out their open jobs and apply nowWhere Hiring San Antonio, TX Phoenix, AZ Tampa, FL Colorado Springs, CO Chesapeake, VA & moreProgram Details USAA has made a commitment to achieving 25 percent military employee representation by 2020, and in order to help them meet that goal, they offer a vari ety of military mentorship and training programs, such as their Veteran Transition Leadership Development program , a 12-month program that develops military veterans whose backgrounds suggest kompetenzprofil as future business leaders. Other programs include their Enterprise Veteran Sponsor Program, in which experienced vets sponsor and mentor newly hired vets TEAMFIT, a veteran IT training program and VETNET, an employee resource group that offers untersttzung and networking for vets and their spouses.Where Hiring Boston, MA Chicago, IL Houston, TX San Francisco, CA New York, NY & moreProgram Details Even a quick glance at Bain & Company reviews will reveal how much of an emphasis the company puts on professional development. For example, their affinity groups - Blacks at Bain, Latinos at Bain, BGLAD (a GLBTQ group), Women at Bain and Veterans at Bain - offer their members additional levels of connection via coaching, mentoring and professional development. Beyond that, t he company pairs many of its more junior-level employees (like Summer Associates and Associate Consultants) with experienced professionals for mentoring and coaching opportunities.Where Hiring Saint Paul, MN Murray, UT Irvine, CA Monroe, NC Madison, WI & moreProgram Details From executive, regional and functional mentoring to cause-based and informal, 3M offers a mentorship opportunity appropriate virtually for every individual, says the companys career site . These opportunities are offered both informally and formally - if an employee is interested in a formal option, a Human Resource Manager from their department can work with them to help them decide which mentorship program is best for them.Where Hiring Boston, MA Grand Rapids, MI San Ramon, CA Niskayuna, NY Cincinnati, OH & moreProgram Details Continuous learning is a core part of GEs culture, so its only natural that they would provide so many different mentorship opportunities. One of their notable programs is their C ommercial Leadership Program (CLP), a two-year rotational program in sales and marketing designed to foster professional development and leadership skills. Participants in the program are paired with leaders who will take time out of their schedules to support your development, and have access to exclusive training summits, courses and networking events. GE also offers mentorship through employee resource groups like their African American Forum Asian Pacific American Forum Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Ally Alliance Hispanic Forum Veterans Network and Womens Network.Where Hiring Warren, MI Tempe, AZ Greenville, SC Timonium, MD Pittsford, NY & moreProgram Details Concentrix offers an impressive and robust mentorship program called their Talent Development Program, which provides mentees with insight into different positions within the organization. Mentees receive shadowing opportunities, customized learning plans, on-the job experience, coaching sessions and motivation a nd support on a weekly basis, as well as online training through the companys Concentrix University platform.Program Details Ent Credit Union recently launched EntRANCE, a two-year program that offers participants exposure and career development opportunities in the lending side of the financial services business. Both internal employees and external hires are eligible for the program, which gives them exposure to Ents consumer lending sales, business analytics and leadership functions. As a part of the program, participants are paired with a Senior Leadership mentor who helps them identify their areas of interest, cultivate their skills and map out their career path.Where Hiring East Peoria, IL Corinth, MS Athens, GA Sanford, NC Lafayette, IN & moreProgram Details Caterpillar, maker of construction, mining and energy equipment, offers an impressive seven different professional development programs to choose from, with options in the analytics, engineering, financial services, HR, digital and information technology, leadership and technical, and marketing fields. Within those fields, there are often several tracks available according to applicants areas of interest. Each program immerses participants in their chosen field, provides hands-on learning experiences and allows them to learn from experienced colleagues. In addition, Caterpillars 13 employee resource groups offer additional mentoring and support.

Anaerobic Digesters Reduce Fossil-Fuel Dependence

Anaerobic Digesters Reduce Fossil-Fuel Dependence Anaerobic Digesters Reduce Fossil-Fuel Dependence Anaerobic Digesters Reduce Fossil-Fuel Dependence Engineers have experimented with anaerobic digestion as a way to create energy since the 1800s. For example, some British communities were using biogas captured from sewage treatment operations to power street lamps over 100 years ago. However, throughout the twentieth century, the abundance and relatively low cost of gas, oil, and coal has made it economically impractical to develop more advanced and larger-scale anaerobic digester technologies, especially in the U.S.This is starting to change, however. Anaerobic digestion a straightforward, well-understood process that can now be cost-effective compared to fossil fuels. Its positive impacts on the environment are also desirable. Small-scale digesters have been used successfully for years to provide energy and heat in developing countries (more than 8 million small-scale digester syste ms are estimated to be in use in China). This overall increased awareness is leading to the establishment of larger-scale anaerobic digestion systems in Europe and North America that produce thousands of kWh of renewable electricity on a daily basis.Straightforward TechnologyAnaerobic digestion is a natural process by which bacteria break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment to form biogas and a digestate. Feedstock can be food waste, manure, sewage, or other organic matter. Depending on the type of bacteria used, operating temperatures are typically 35 C (95 F) or 55 C (131 F). Precise temperature control is required to optimize the bacterias rate of activity. The final product is a biogas mixture of methane and carbon dioxide that can be used as a fuel for generating electricity the digestate is usually spread on agricultural fields as a fertilizer.Environmental benefits of anaerobic digestion include the capture and use of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced reliance o n fossil fuels, and reduced volumes of stored waste, which lessens the environmental risks of manure run-off and groundwater contamination. Being able to process waste organic matter through anaerobic digestion also relieves disposal burden on municipal landfills.A wet fermentation digester system at Rosendale Dairy, the largest dairy in Wisconsin. Image BIOFermSeveral large-scale operations have come online in the U.S. in recent years. Sacramento started up one of the largest anaerobic digestion systems in North America in 2013, with the capability of converting 25 tons of food waste per day into heat, electricity, and natural gas. It will also produce 700,000 diesel gallons per year of renewable CNG and prevent the release 18,000 tons of CO2into the atmosphere, while also generating one million kilowatts of electricity and producing eight million gallons a year of organic soils and fertilizer products.In 2014 the University of California-Davis opened its Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester (READ) at the campus former landfill. Campus and community food and yard waste is converted into clean energy that is fed into the campus electrical grid. READ will convert 50 tons of organic waste into 12,000 kWh of renewable electricity each day, diverting 20,000 tons of waste from local landfills each year. Also in 2014 the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh launched its new $10-million, 1.4-megawatt (MW) digester at the states largest dairy operation. The digester will process 240 tons of manure per day from the dairys 8,500 cows, generating biogas burned as fuel in power production and a pathogen-free and nutrient-rich digestate that will be used as an organic fertilizer. The digester was built through a partnership between the University of Wisconsin and BIOFerm Energy Systems, a teilen of the German company Viessmann Group.Although the technology basics of anaerobic digesters are the same, components can vary according to project parameters, including project size, typ e of bacteria, temperature, feedstock type, and volume of production. Different tools and add-ons are available increase the efficiency of the operation. For example, most wet fermentation applications (pumpable liquids) rely on a complete-mix tank reactor. To improve efficiency, we offer an agitator package characterized by low-power consumption with high mixing efficiency, says Whitney Beadle, director of communications for BIOFerm Energy Systems in Madison, Wisconsin.Unique anaerobic digester systems are also available for dry fermentation non-pumpable, high solids feedstocks digestion systems. These can hold the material stationary inside the chambers, allowing for digestion of highly contaminated waste streams that may be unsuitable for tradition digesters, such as municipal solid waste, because pre-separation is not necessary. Smaller systems are also available for smaller feedstock amounts, which removes the need for a large amount of on-site construction, because the system is delivered onsite as a pre-fabricated, prepackaged container, says Beadle.A portable biodigester unit. Image BioDScalable OptionsBecause they can be designed for feedstocks and production volumes, and are simple to build and maintain, digesters are increasingly being used in developing countries to create energy at the single-family scale. BioD, part of a Washington, DC-based start-up incubator called Hatch International, is using digesters to turn farm waste into usable energy in Madagascar. This is expected to significantly reduce the amount of wood burned for cooking, which will slow the rate of tree-cutting, improve air quality, and help families save money.ur design is unique in that its small enough to serve a single household, and can even be picked up and moved around, states Caroline Angelo, an electrical engineer and co-director of BioD. Since everything is above ground, its easy to troubleshoot and repair if necessary.Anaerobic digesters are also being used to facilitat e human waste disposal in impoverished countries that have insufficient sanitation/sewage facilities. For example, less than 30 percent of Indias population has access to toilets. Untreated human waste, often left out in the open, is responsible for outbreaks of serious diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, viral hepatitis, cholera, and typhoid. A company called DRDO has perfected a biodegradation technology that converts human waste into usable water and gas in an ecofriendly manner. The gas can be utilized for energy/ cooking and water for irrigation purposes. The digesters can be customized to meet the requirements of a specific region and demography they are also being installed on passenger trains in India to improve onboard treatment of human waste.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.Learn about the latest trends in energy solutions at ASMEsPower Energy Conference and Exhibition.