3 Simple Ways to Earn a Promotion

3 Simple Ways to Earn a Promotion3 Simple Ways to Earn a PromotionHere is your problem. You are working in a job. You are achieving goals and succeeding.So, why is everyone getting promoted and you are not? Is this unfair or is something else happening?This post offers 3 simple ways to earn a vorrcken, so you do not feel left behind in your company or career. 1. Make reporting success to a boss a habitYou know you are succeeding. Do not be shy about it. Do not wait for people to wake up and realize it was you creating positive results in the office.Have a calendar appointment set up for yourself to remind you when it is time to tell the boss how well you did.Let the boss know the numbers behind what you accomplished, future initiatives, and goals you have for next month.Do this enough times and your boss discovers why you are valuable. When it comes time to discuss promotions, you have all the evidence you need to prove it is a good idea.2. Start forming relationships with people out side of your officeConnect with people in your company. Make sure they have no direct connection to your office.Get to know the people who work in your building and what they do in the company. Take part in events outside of work that you put in contact with others on a social level.You do this to increase your profile in the company. The mora well-known and well-liked you become, the more you stay on peoples minds.If a boss is deciding to hire internally and you are on that boss mind, there is a great chance they will ask to meet with you for an interview.Note The importance of not being directly connected with another office has to do with managing possible conflict. If your boss thinks another boss is trying to steal you away or thinks you are fishing elsewhere for work, your current boss could very well retaliate against you in some passive-aggressive way.3. Go get offers from other companiesIt is promotion time. They are thinking of passing you over again. You are frustrated.Th ankfully, you went out and got yourself offers from another companyYou now have leverage. You have to make an uncomfortable choice by telling the company, Promote me or I go elsewhere.The worst thing that can happen is they say, Fine. Goodbye. But that just proves they had no interest in keeping you. A promotion would be a bad thing for you anyway.The best case scenario is they say, Please do not. We will make arrangements, and act like a company that wants tokeep you around longer. You are important to them. Most importantly, you are letting them know your career is important to you.Granted, these are not fun discussions to have, but getting offers elsewhere is certainly easier if you already have a job. It is not recommended you try this without an offer in place. You are gambling on losing your job.

Visit a Career Center or Career Counselor Find Your Dream Job

Visit a Career Center or Career Counselor Find Your Dream JobVisit a Career Center or Career Counselor - Find Your Dream JobEveryone can use a bit of help in his or her job search. However, you can receive valuable job search advice without breaking the bank. Todays task is to find an inexpensive, or even free, career counselor to help guide you in the beginning phases of your job search. Career counselors can read and review your resume and cover letters, recommend networking opportunities and even help you find ideal places to job search. Finding a Career Counselor Below is a list of places you should contact to find an inexpensive career counselor. Your College Career Services Office If you are a college student or college graduate, contact the career services office at your school or alma mater. College students typically receive free college counseling sessions, and can often attend job search workshops and networking events. Many colleges offer similar services to alumni ansicht services are often free, or cost a reasonable rate. Career services offices also tend to offer free information for student and alumni online, such as access to online job listing databases. Your Alumni Network If you are a college graduate, your college career services office (or your college alumni office) likely has some sort of alumni advisor network. Alumni who volunteer to join this network are willing to speak with you about your career-related questions and advise you on your job search. Your Local Public Library Many local libraries hold job search workshops or seminars, which are often free or reasonably priced. Some libraries even hold job clubs, which provide job seekers with support and advice. Ask a local librarian if your library has access to any job listing databases, or has any other job search materials. Your Local Chamber of Commerce Many chambers of commerce offer career or job fairs, workshops and various networking opportunities. Search the Chamber of Commerce International Directory for contact information. Your State Department of Labor Office DoL offices offer online and in-person employment services, including job fairs, a job database and other career resources. You can find contact information for your state department of labor here. American Job Centers The U.S. Department of Labor runs a variety of American Job Centers, or AJCs (formerly called One-Stop Career Centers). AJCs provide free career counseling, employment workshops, networking events and more. Find your local AJC here. Private Career Counselor If you can afford it, consider hiring a private practice career counselor. Before doing so, consult the National Career Development Associations (NCDA) Consumer Guidelines for Selecting a Career Counselor. It provides an overview of the roles of a career counselor, training and credentials information, what you should expect and demand as a client, ethical practices and more.

Heres the most dangerous proverb in the English language

Heres the most dangerous proverb in the English languageHeres the most dangerous proverb in the English languageCuriosity killed the cat.Or as the Russians say with far mora dramatic flair, Curious Barbaras nose was torn off at the market.These proverbs, according to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, are used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation.Curiosity, in cats or in Russian market-goers, isnt just annoying or inconvenient. Curious people arent just pesky troublemakers who cant be satisfied with the status quo. Theyre downright dangerous. As the legendary Hollywood producer Brian Grazer writes, The child who feels free to ask why the sky is blue grows into the adult who asks more disruptive questions Why am I the serf and you the king? Does the sun really revolve around Earth? Why are people with dark skin slaves and people with light skin their masters?Curiosity also requires an admission of ignorance. Asking a question means that we dont know the ans wer, and thats an admission that few of us are willing to make. For fear of sounding dumb, we assume most questions are too basic to ask, so we dont ask them.In this era of move fast and break things, curiosity can also seem like an unnecessary luxury. With an inbox-zero ethos and an unyielding focus on hustle and execution, answers appear efficient. They illuminate the path forward and give us that life hack so we can move onto the next thing on our to-do list. Questions, on the other hand, are exceedingly inefficient. They dont yield immediate answers, so theyre unlikely to get a slot on our overloaded calendars.So we wait until a crisis occurs to become curious and start asking questions. Its only when were laid off that we begin to ponder alternative career paths. Its only when our business is disrupted by a young, scrappy, and hungry competitor that we gather the troops to spend a few futile hours thinking outside the box. But by that point, the ship has already sailed. Just as k Blockbuster, Kodak, Borders, and the entire cab industry.Our education ordnungsprinzip is also to blame. In most classrooms, theres little room for curiosity and experimentation. An authority figure steps up to the podium to feed us the truth. Textbooks magically reveal the right answers to questions. We learn about Newtons laws - as if they arrived by a grand divine visitation or a stroke of genius - but not the years he spent exploring and revising them (not to mention his experiments in alchemy, which attempted, and spectacularly failed, to turn lead into gold).If your chemistry class was anything like mine, the outcome of each experiment was predetermined. There was no room for curiosity or unexpected insights. If you didnt get the right result, youd be stuck in the lab repeating the same experiment over and over again, while your classmates trekked off to the movies.As a result, we believe (or pretend to believe) there is one right answer to each question. We believe that t his right answer has already been discovered by someone far smarter than us. We believe the answer can, therefore, be found in a well-crafted Google search, the latest self-help book, or advice from a self-proclaimed life coach.Fear is another reason we shun curiosity. If we spend too much time investigating and experimenting, were afraid of what we might find. Worse, were afraid that we may not find anything at all, that our inquiry led us nowhere, turning this whole curiosity business into a gigantic waste of time.Lets nip these beliefs in the bud. Unnecessary investigation and experimentation are precisely what you need for a creative personal and professional life. Hustle and innovation are antithetical to each other. You cant generate breakthroughs while clearing out your inbox. You must dig the well before youre thirsty and become curious now - not when a crisis inevitably presents itself while youre too busy staring at the rear-view mirror.Curiosity killed the cat. But it ju st might save you.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).This article first appeared onozanvarol.com.

Career Profile for Truck Drivers

Career Profile for Truck DriversCareer Profile for Truck DriversTruck driving jobs make up over three million jobs nationwide. There are four primary types of shipping air, rail, ships, and trucks. Of these four shipping modes, trucks are the most versatile, therefore the most crucial and most prominent. With small exception, nearly every product traktement spends at least a portion of its transportation time a commercial motor vehicle. The truck driver is employed to either pick up freight or deliver it. In some cases, shipments may need to be unloaded by hand by the driver, although this is usually not the case. At all times a commercial motor driver must follow all Department of Transportation laws and regulations and all truck drivers must possess a commercial drivers license. The Life of a Truck Driver It is a drivers job to know what road he or she can travel, and not all roads are truck routes. Also, while it is reasonable to assume that such roads would be clearly marked as non-truck routes, that is not always the case. Therefore, a driver must take time in preparation of his or her route to determine which roads they can use. Truck driving is hard work. A driver spends up to 11 hours each day sitting alone behind a steering wheel, dealing with customers, vendors, other truck drivers, and non-commercial drivers. It can be grueling and can even take a toll on your health. Drivers also spend long periods of time away from their homes and families. They are required to work at night, on the weekends and on holidays at times. During natural weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, it is the truck drivers who are often first on the scene with trailer loads of life-saving products. Demand for Truck Drivers The trucking industry has a growing demand for truck drivers, and many companies are having difficulty finding licensed drivers. With the onset of the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program, only safe drivers are allow ed on the roads these days. And there is a strong need to replace drivers who have been taken off the road for repeated safety violations. A truck driver is a skilled profession. Meaning, all drivers who operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) require a commercial drivers license (CDL). Therefore, a truck driver must obtain the necessary training to receive a CDL. Some drivers will opt for a truck driving school, others may learn at a vocational school, and there are some companies that will provide on-the-job training. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the trucking and freight industries are expected to grow about three percent over the next decade. The national average annual salary for a driver as of May 2017 was $42,470, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $27,510, and the highest 10 percent earning mora than $64,000. Wages can vary widely depending on the location. Some drivers are not salaried and instead arepaid by the hour or by miles traveled. The more you are willing to work the less appealing hauls, such as overnight routes or holiday shipments, the more money you are likely to make. Truck driving is a good career in the sense that it is stable, the industry is growing, and that it provides a family with a steady income.

The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Office Gift

The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Office GiftThe Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Office GiftBuying a gesundheitsgefhrdender stoffstoff for someone you dont know well can be tricky. A gift for someone you work with? That can be REALLY tricky. There are far too many ways to accidentally offend someone with a gift. Yet many workplaces have holiday gift exchanges. Whether its Secret Santa, White Elephant or Yankee Swap, here is the ultimate guide to selecting the perfect gift that wont offend.Bad Gift IdeasOne of the best ways to select the right gift is to carefully consider what makes the wrong gift. Here are some gift ideas to avoid.ReligiousTheres a good reason its safer to say Happy Holidays than Merry Christmas. You really have no idea who celebrates Christmas or any other annual holiday. So rather than alienate someone in the office, stay clear of gifts that relate to anything religious.LiquorAlthough it may seem to go hand in hand with the holidays, its always risky to give liquor. Everyone has specific tastes when it comes to liquor and not everyone drinks. Plus it can be an offensive gift if someone doesnt drink. Skip the liquor gifts for the office.GagsAlthough the gag gift can work in some office holiday settings, it can be something of a risk, too. Perhaps you dont know the person as well as you think. A funny gag gift will just cause them to scratch their head. Also, gag gifts may leave some feeling let down as others receive legitimate gifts, and they only received a gag. The funny gift might not be best.Re-giftMade famous by the label-maker on Seinfeld, the re-gift is the absolute worst gift you can offer someone at an office holiday party. Mainly because the re-gift can be identified so easily. Who would really buy a co-worker a therapeutic footbath?Safe gift ideasThese are safe bets that almost any coworker would love.Gift cardsMany think the gift card is a cop-out gift you give when you dont want to actually think of a gift idea. But with coworkers the gift card is a wonderful gift. It shows you want to give a good gift but at the saatkorn time are willing to admit you dont know whats best for them. Its actually a thoughtful and realistic gift.FunAbout the best gift you can give is something thats fun. Big surprise, right? Gift = fun. But too often we forget thats the purpose of giving a gift. So rather than the boring slipper socks or holiday tie, consider giving a board game, movie passes or a great book. Chances are, if you take the risk and go for a gift you find to be fun, the recipient will feel the same way.GadgetsMany things at a store like The Sharper Image or Brookstone are safe to give people. But the key here is that its actually neat. Heads up These gifts can be risky if the person in question already owns the gadget or the gadget is risqu.

The Foolproof Diffrent Types of Resumes Strategy

The Foolproof Diffrent Types of Resumes Strategy The Death of Diffrent Types of Resumes The important thing is to put your latest experiences at the very top and work your way down. To better understand which option might be ideal for you, lets look at every one of them separately. You might be able to create a number of versions of your resume, but this isnt a realistic alternative for your LinkedIn profile. There are 35 different kinds of commercials, but only six primary approaches. Perfect for candidates that are focused and want to get more progression in similar regions of profession. Such candidates might be deserving, and might build a thriving career given an opportunity. Diffrent Types of Resumes Can Be Fun for Everyone The info that will best position you as the best candidate depends upon your special conditions. There are three major kinds of cover letters. 1 kind of cover letter is known as the application cover letter. A cover letter is not merely a rei teration of your resume. What You Should Do to Find Out About Diffrent Types of Resumes Before Youre Left Behind This sort of resume is prepared in such a manner that it may be sent to a range of organizations. It is appropriately called a combination resume, and it is becoming increasingly popular. There are a couple of common kinds of resumes, and were likely to evaluate when (or if) you ought to use every one of them. There are varieties of different kinds of resumes. Characteristics of Diffrent Types of Resumes As its name implies, these resumes offer you a mix of functional grouping of skills, but still take advantage of an easy-to-understand timeline. In addition, it may be three or more pages for those that have longer careers. Nontraditional resumes are perfect for men and women in creative fields, who would like to demonstrate their capacity to create visually engaging designs or to make web pages. The functional resume is utilised to concentrate on skills that a re particular to the sort of position being sought. For the best impact, tailor each resume for each and every job application. If you dont have any particular objective or should you not wish to turn in an application for any specific job, the Inventory resume is best for you. The primary purpose of a functional resume is to concentrate on the abilities and abilities of the candidate in place of the work experience. The Basic Facts of Diffrent Types of Resumes In the combination format, you may also include your little expertise in your prior organizations or jobs. Individuals that are working as freelancers in many companies at the exact same time may also utilize functional resume format. The benefit of this resume is that its great for those situations where the employer just scans through resumes because the skills are mentioned as keywords at the start. 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in contrast to traditional hiring metho ds. If you fulfill the requirements required to find the job, the resume can help you raise the odds of getting an excellent job. Again, please remember to utilize a resume writer to come up with your resume if youre uncertain of how to, or not able to develop one yourself. The resume objective ought to be written in line with the job that you are applying for. For creative jobs, its a superb notion to consider beyond the 3 major kinds of resumes and design a creative resume. Be certain to do as the work announcement says. There are a number of different trends of resumes used to make an application for job openings. If thats the case, then the functional resume format could be perfect. The last format you might want to take into account is a targeted resume. You might want to have a text-based version stripped of formatting so its possible to post it quickly to job boards and internet databases.

Five Answers on Why Viacom Cares About Mentorship

Five Answers on Why Viacom Cares About Mentorship Meet Aurelie Gaudry, the Senior Director of Mobile and Emerging Platforms for Viacoms music and entertainment brands. Aurelie oversees a gruppe of developers who build the iOS and Android apps we use to watch episodes of Nashville (and many other shows). She also builds apps for emerging platforms such as Roku, Android TV, Apple TV and Xbox.PowerToFly asked Aurelie about how mentorship has helped her grow from a front end developer at Viacom to a Senior Director over the last ten years.When we started doing mobile applications, at first we were outsourcing the development. The idea was to bring it in house to get better quality and more ownership of it. Because I was interested, and I had someone here with more experience with mobile, that person would teach some classes, like after the 9 to 5, and teach those who are interested. I started learning about mobile development and just got a lot more into it. It quickly grew into moving t his all in house and I got the chance to build up a team of Android and iOS developers. Now I am in charge of the department.This pivotal learning experience is one Aurelie carries over to her team.There are review processes in place to help people learn, in terms of being clean and efficient, writing well testable code, she said. I have definitely heard from a lot of people that they have learned a lot getting into my group and getting that kind of feedback. It is very important at Viacom to make sure everyone is happy and growing.We also dug into how Aurelie is paying it forward, by making sure others are growing in the Viacom community. Aurelie cites that hack-a-thons, for example, are a regular occurrence, including one last March with The Daily Show that featured Trevor Noah.Viacom also partners with Girls Who Code, a non-profit organization that works to close the gender gap in technology, on a summer immersion program that provides high school students computer science instru ction and mentorships with female company executives.Aurelie details other initiatives focused on women in tech, like a recent Women in Computing event.The theme, she described, was gender issues and the team that actually won was a team of five high school students who built an Android app that was disguised as a food delivery app. There were hidden features where domestic abuse victims could call for help. It was really just great to see what five high school students can do. It is amazing what kids can do these days and women play a large role in that.Want to learn more about roles at Viacom? Check out their company page here. Aki Merced

Applying for Jobs in Criminal Justice and Criminology

Applying for Jobs in Criminal Justice and CriminologyApplying for Jobs in Criminal Justice and CriminologySometimes, taking the first step can be the hardest part of any journey, if only because you dont know where or how to start. This is especially true if youre looking for jobs.If criminology is where you want to work, you need to know where to go and how to apply for jobs in criminology and criminal justice. Where to Look For Criminal Justice and Criminology Jobs Before you can worry about who to send an application or resume to, you need to know what agencies, departments, and organizations have job openings in the jobs youre looking for. In the case of criminal justice and criminology careers, the majority of your employers are going to be local, state or federal governments. The quickest and easiest way to learn about government vacancies is to visit their websites. More and more public employers are advertising their vacancies - and accepting applications - directly onli ne. Across the country, states, counties, and municipalities are hiring all sorts of public service workers. All you need to do is visit the websites of governments youd like to work for and start searching. FindingPrivate Sector Criminology Careers In the private sector, things arent always so clear-cut. Heres where applying the keys to job search success - networking, informational interviews, cold calling and a lot ofperseverance -will really be important. Rememberthough, difficult does not meanimpossible. All it takes is a little research and effort. First off, know whichprivate sector employers hire criminal justice and criminology professionals. Look forretailers, financial institutions, and even hotel chains. These organizations will likely have some form of loss prevention divisions, which may include investigations into financial and other so-called white collar crime. When to Submit Your Resume or Job Application and Who to Send It To Once youve got your potential employers narrowed down, you need to find out whether to send a resume or complete a job application. For most public sector jobs, your first step will probably be a voreingestellt job application. In some cases, you maybe required to submit a resume along with the application. For private sector jobs, chances are youll need to start with a well-written resume and cover letter. If youre going after a specific job opening, read the instructions in the job advertisement carefully. There will very probably be instructions on how to apply, what information to include in your resume and who to send it to. If youre cold calling, make sure your cover letter clearly paints a picture of who you are and what you want to do, and that your resume demonstrates what makesyouqualified to do it. Research your potential employers and find out who handles hiring in those organizations. Look for key terms like the hiring manager, recruiter, human resources, employee relations or similar titles. Thes e aregoingto be the people in charge of the hiring process and who will have a strong influence on who ultimatelygets hired. Applying for Jobs in Criminal Justice and Criminology To apply for jobs, youll need to look for specific job openings. The advertisements will have specific instructions on how to apply and where to submit the application. Its extremely important that you follow these instructions. When applying for the job, make sure you complete the job application, and any supplemental application, in its entirety. Make sure you dont skip sections. Answer all of the questions honestly, and do not leave out past employers if asked about them. Get Prepared in Advance to Have the Best Chances of Success Criminology and criminal justice careers are more than worth considering, but the job hunt can easily get frustrating if youre not well prepared. You can help your chances by taking steps to make yourself the candidate employers are looking to hire. To do this, researc h the careers you may be interested in and find out exactly what kind of experience and education youll need. This will help you tomake good decisions on whatyou can do to get ready. By doing this, you can go a long way toward landing a rewarding career when you finally take the leap to apply for the job.

Five principles from a golf coach to help you be the best leader you can be

Five principles from a golf coach to help you be the best leader you can beFive principles from a golf coach to help you be the best leader you can beAs an entrepreneur with a growing business, youre probably clamoring to maintain control as things change - I know I welches with my own young company. Unfortunately, in my quest for control, I wasactually doing my business and gruppe a distafelgeschirr. One of our core values at my company is to elevate everyone around you. Yet even as a co-founder I was stuck in the weeds and getting in the way of the talented people we hired to get the job done.As I struggled with this problem, I was given a few pointers from a golf coach on my backswing (I used to tense up, grip the club too tightly, andslice the ball off course). He instructed me to loosen my grip and not tense up in that critical moment - leading to a better and more consistent shot. Its counterintuitive, but this advice has given me both a better golf swing and a more effective way of working with my team.So here are the five rules Ive platzdeckchen for myself as I set out to really put this into practice in my business.Dont try to fix everything at onceAs a founder or executive of a growing company, youre likely overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of problems you see - I certainly was. Personally, I pointed out problems left and right, distracting my team from focusing on what really mattered. I was trying to fix everything at once, instead of fixing one issue at a time.Focus on the urgent and importantWhen I get overwhelmed, I use theEisenhower Boxto ask myself What is both urgent and important? I focus on that one thing and rally the team around it. This provides clarity and eliminates the cost of confusing priorities and context switching.Eisenhower categorized his work in degrees ofurgencyandimportance. As an entrepreneur, its easy to focus on whats directly in front of you. Theurgentdemands your attention right then. For me, completing the urgent tas k gives me a mental high and feeling of accomplishment. In contrast, theimportantitems might not always be in front of you, but those tasks contribute to longer-term goals and aspirations. If you always focus on the urgent, you wont have time to address theimportant. Eisenhower proposes that you first work on tasks that are both urgent and important, delegate the urgent but unimportant ones, and schedule time to work on the important but not urgent tasks.For example, we were working on student engagement challengesin the design of our online program. We wanted students to have the same sense of connectedness that benefits our on-campus students. This problem was challenging and requires concentration. Working on this isimportant because a successful online product drives our mission to teach as many people as possible how to code. However, was easy for me to get distracted by more urgent tasks like prospective student inquiries and customer service issues. I could easily fix the lat ter, so it made me feel confident to knock out what feels urgent even though it could easily be delegated to a team member. I had to consciously choose to categorize and work accordingly.Dont fix everything yourselfThis is the hardest rule for me. Take the time to explain why something must be fixed and empower someone else to fix it. You shouldnt do it yourself because youve hired talented people to solve these challenges specifically so you can focus on other things. Additionally, the team becomes better and more capable when youre not the only one solving problems. Most importantly, you can damage relationships with your team when you solve problems for them. It sends a message that you dont trust them to get the job done.Focus on results, not methodologyNow that youve empowered someone to get it done, dont micromanage how they do it. Focus on the results, not the methodology. People with different backgrounds and perspectives approach problems differently, and thats what makes w orking with others great. Clearly communicate what you want and get out of the way. Ateam member may solve the problem in a new way and you could learn something - their approach may even be more effective.For example, early on, my team learned that holding events helped us buildrelationships with prospective students. I personally felt obligated to coordinate these. But after staff planning with our marketing director, it became clear that having a dedicated events coordinator would free up people on the team to focus on what they do well. Focusing on the outcome of more events instead of how we were going to achieve them cleared the logjam, and it helped our makerting director feel more empowered around his own responsibilities within the organization.Now theres less on my own plate and I can focus on what I do best - I just have to show up to the events and share my enthusiasm.Be compassionate to yourself and your teamIm a software engineer by trade, and the mechanics and immed iate gratification of writing code issatisfying. You give the computer an instruction and it does what you want or throws an error. The immediate feedback allows you to change your approach. So it was an adjustment when I started to lead people. Feedback will not be immediate, and screwing up is a certainty.Be patient with yourself. Its a slow process, and things wont always be clear. As well, be compassionate with your team. I always try to share that Im learning and that Im also making mistakes. This helps open up adialog on how we can communicate better in the future and do better moving forward.Dan Pickett, co-founder ofLaunch Academy, has been building web applications and technology teams since 2004. He has a passion for mentoring and educating aspiring developers.This column first appeared at BusinessCollective.

CancerFighting Nanoparticles

CancerFighting Nanoparticles CancerFighting Nanoparticles More than 10 years since two Rice University professors developed a potential treatment for cancer using gold nanoshells that circumvents invasive surgery and toxic drugs, the therapy appears to be on track for Food Drug Administration approval as a medical device next year.Its been a long process, says John Stroh, CEO of Houston-based Nanospectra Biosciences, a company founded by professors Dr. Naomi Halas and Dr. Jennifer West to commercialize the therapy. Stroh says he expects Nanospectra to be the second company to get approval for tumor ablation using nanoparticles. In 2010, Berlin, Germany-based MagForce Nanotechnologies welches the first company worldwide to receive European regulatory approval for its procedure using nanoparticles, small bits of iron oxide suspended in a liquid. European approval for the Nanospectra therapy is expected later this year, he says.Progress of NanoshellsGold nanoshells were invented in the 1990s by Halas, head of Rices Laboratory for Nanophotonics and professor of biomedical engineering as well as other areas. The nanoshells are tiny layers of glass formed into a sphere encased in a thin layer of gold. Each is about 20 times smaller than a red blood cell.Professor Naomi Halas created the tiny gold-covered glass globes called nanoshells. leumund Rice UniversityCollaborating with West, the Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering at Rice, Halas worked with the nanoshells so that they would absorb light. Then they injected nanoshells into mice with cancer and found that the nanoparticles accumulated around the tumor. When they next pointed a laser at the particles, and the light welches converted into energy and heated the cancer cells. Those cells died, eliminating the tumor and leaving no damage to surrounding cells.The technology was licensed to Nanospectra Biosciences, Inc., Houston, TX, in 2002, which has conducted animal and human testing required for regulat ory approval. The particle used by Nanospectra, which it has named Auroshell, is the silica core surrounded by a thin layer of gold. Since the Aurolase therapy is a physical process, it is classified by the FDA as a medical device (in contrast to a drug), which typically takes less approval time.A depiction of an indivdual Auroshell particle. Image Nanospectra BiosciencesThe nanoshells are placed in the bloodstream of a patient with a cancerous tumor, and because of the leaky characteristics of a tumors blood vessels, the nanoparticles accumulate in the tumor and frame it. Subsequent exposure to a near-infrared laser generates heat and bursts the cancer cells walls. The light is harmless, and because the heating is localized, it affects only cells immediately adjacent to the nanoshells, and destroys cancerous cells without harming healthy surrounding tissue. The nanoshells eventually are eliminated safely from the body.Clinical TrialsStroh says Nanospectra has completed or is in the process of doing clinical trials for head and neck cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Human testing began in 2008 and has been conducted in a number of hospitals including The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Baylor College of Medicine, and collaborative research has been done with MD Anderson.Image of nanoshells magnified 15,000 times. Image Naomi HalasThe therapy is so much less traumatic than surgery there is less recovery time, less hospital time, and there are no drugs, explains Stroh. You are getting the entire tumor because the gold frames the margins.The medical community is optimistic about the prospect for other medical applications of nanoparticles as well. For instance, they could be used as a diagnostic tool for cancer. A patient would be injected with nanoshells and a near-infrared light passed over the body, which would indicate the location, size, and shape of early canc ers. They can also be viewed with various conventional body scans.Nanoshells could also be the delivery system for various drugs that would be targeted to a specific area, eliminating side effects that often result from systemic use. If chemotherapy is recommended for treating tumors, the drugs could be delivered directly to the tumors by the nanoshells and when activated either by a laser or some other means would release the drugs.There is a lot of promise, Stroh says. Im not going to say the procedure is going to cure all cancers, but certainly its expected to offer a lot of benefits of being non-toxic and less invasive than surgery. It has the potential of reducing lots of surgeries.Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer.The therapy is so much less traumatic than surgery there is less recovery time, less hospital time, and there are no drugs.John Stroh, CEO, Nanospectra Biosciences