How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips

How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you dream of traveling for work, touching down in a new city every day and experiencing different cultures regularly? Do you love helping people, and live for customer interactions (even the not-so-pleasant ones)? If so, you might want to consider a career as a flight attendant. Despite their glamorous TV and movie reputation, flight attendant jobs are difficult. They’re also competitive to get. In this article, I’ll break down how to become a flight attendant by first deciding if a job as a flight attendant is right for you and, if so, how to apply for flight attendant jobs. Becoming a flight attendant is an exciting, unique career path that has the potential to transform your life. Interested in Becoming a Flight Attendant? Consider These Questions First Flight attendant jobs are exciting, unique, and well-respected. They can also be exhausting and intense and require you to make significant sacrifices in your personal life. Before beginning the lengthy application process to be a flight attendant, consider these questions. Are You Okay With Working Long, Difficult Hours? A flight attendant’s schedule, at best, includes long, difficult work days. At worst, a flight attendant’s schedule can be unpredictable and exhausting. Once becoming a flight attendant, you’ll be responsible for having specific days where you’ll have scheduled trips to complete. You’ll also be responsible for a handful of days each month where you must be on-call to jump on a trip if required. Your on days, and your on-call days, can be any days - weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. As a first year flight attendant, you’ll likely have to be on or on call for most major travel days, and have less seniority in picking which trips to fly. That means that you’ll probably be working on holidays and almost definitely be working on at least some weekends. The trips you take will often be extremely difficult and tiring on your body. If you mainly fly short, national flights, you’ll likely have two or more flights in a day and be responsible for overseeing the customer service needs of hundreds of customers. If you fly international trips, you’ll probably only have to fly one trip a day, but you’ll typically have a quick turnaround time before you have to be on your next flight. The toll of traveling to so many different places so quickly can heavy on your body, as you’ll often be adjusting to different time zones and getting up extremely early or staying up very late. Are You Able to Commit to an Intense Training Process? Flight attendant training is a long, intense process. For flight attendant training, you’ll need to move to a specified training location, where you’ll live with other flight attendant trainees for the duration of the training, which can last for several months. Most airlines only have two or three training facilities, so you’ll likely be far away from home for the entirety of your training. Training days themselves are mentally and physically exhausting. You’ll be learning rules about how to keep people safe in the air, as well as practicing the physical skills you’ll need to help pack the planes or conduct safe evacuations. Would You Be Okay Moving For Work? Airlines have hubs where many of their flights originate, and their flight crews are often required to live nearby so that they can be ready to jump on a flight at a moment’s notice. If you don’t live near your airline’s hub, you’ll likely have to move, at least for the part of the month where you’re on-call. That can mean leaving your friends and family behind for large amounts of time. Do You Like Dealing With Customers? As a flight attendant, you’ll have to deal with customers all the time - and they won’t always be pleasant or happy to work with you. If you don’t like dealing with customers, being a flight attendant probably isn’t the right job for you. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Flight Attendant Requirements Still want to be a flight attendant? Applying for a job as a flight attendant is highly competitive. For instance, Delta regularly receives 100,000 applications during its open enrollment periods, from which they only accept several hundred trainees. Many airlines have strict requirements for their flight attendants. In this section, I’ll talk about what some of those requirements are. Keep in mind, however, that every airline has different requirements of its attendants. Flight Attendant Requirements for Minimum Age All airlines have minimum age requirements from applicants. These can range from 18 to 21 years old, depending on the airline. There is no maximum age requirement for flight attendants at any US airline. Flight Attendant Requirements for Physical Ability One of the greatest myths about being a flight attendant is that you need to be a beautiful supermodel in order to be a flight attendant. Not true! Airlines don’t have physical appearance requirements, but they do want you to look neat and well groomed. Normally, airlines tend to look for conservative, classic styles of dress and appearance. That means that your hair should be dyed a natural color and you shouldn’t have any visible tattoos or piercings, besides ears. In terms of height and weight, airlines require that you’ll be able to reach the overhead bins to store luggage and that you can fit into the jump-seat easily. Other than that, there are no hard or fast cutoffs for height or weight. Airlines require their flight attendants to have 20/20 vision, which can be achieved either naturally or through the use of contacts and/or glasses. Finally, some airlines may require you to undergo a medical or physical fitness test to ensure that you’re in good enough health to fulfill the job’s requirements. Flight Attendant Requirements for Education All US airlines require that you have a high school diploma or GED to apply. You must also be able to pass a full background check and drug screening. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Finding a Job Flight attendant jobs can be difficult to find. Airlines often have hiring windows throughout the year during which they accept applications. Very few US airlines are hiring year-round. To that end, here are some tips for finding the flight attendant job of your dreams. Decide Which Airlines You’d Like to Work For First, you should decide what airlines you’d like to fly for. All of the US airlines are very different. When considering which airline you’d like to fly with, think about the following questions. #1: Where do I want to fly? Not every airline flies the same places. If you’ve got your heart set on making it out to the Pacific Northwest, make sure you’re applying to an airline that flies there.#2: What’s my customer service philosophy? Each airline has its own philosophy about customer service. Read up on the airlines to see which matches your own customer service philosophy.:3: What’re other flight attendants saying about working for this airline? You can use online company review sites like Glassdoor to get a sneak peek into what it’s like to work at a different airline. These reviews can help you see the positives and negatives a company, so you can make a more informed decision about where to apply. Always take these reviews with a grain of salt, however–just because someone else had a bad experience, doesn’t mean you will, too. Use Job Search Sites Job sites like Indeed.com and Monster.com can help you find out when companies are hiring flight attendants. You can also check Flight Attendant Career, a website that provides information about open applicant periods for all airlines in one place. Check the Websites of Airlines You’re Interested In Another great way to find flight attendant jobs is to watch the websites of the airlines that you’re interested in applying to. They’ll often have information about open positions on their sites. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Applying for Jobs As I mentioned, applying to be a flight attendant is very competitive. In this section, I’ll talk about how you can stand out from the crowd during the application and interview process. How to Present a Polished Flight Attendant Application Hiring managers at airlines have to look through hundreds of thousands of applications. Here are a few tips to make your application stand out. Show Off Your Skills Airlines are often looking to hire flight attendants who have special skills, like exceptional customer service ability or a passion for travel. If you’ve proven yourself to be able to work with people in different situations, you’ll definitely want to highlight this on your application. For instance, if you’ve encountered and had to serve people from different backgrounds in a previous job, it’ll show that you’ve got what it takes to deal with people. Similarly, airlines are looking for candidates who will enjoy traveling, which will obviously be a large part of your job description. If you’ve traveled a lot, highlight that, even if it’s in a later section of your resume, such as personal interests or skills. Finally, if you’re looking to fly internationally, fluency in another language can help you truly stand out from the pack, as you’ll have to help customers whose first language isn’t English. Make sure that your application reflects any unique skills you have that’ll help you standout from the crowd. Highlight Your Experience If you have previous experience as a flight attendant or in other high-stress customer service fields, make sure you note that on your application and resume. Airlines are looking for flight attendants who’ll be able to provide exceptional customer service to all of their customers. When highlighting your customer service experience, make sure you provide context. For instance, if you’ve worked in a shop before, quantify the number of customers you dealt with on busy days, which’ll show that you can handle numerous customer interactions in one day. Even if you’ve worked in a less relevant position, highlight how you’ve had to be flexible and helpful to different groups of people. Check Your Application Carefully Because hiring managers need to quickly screen hundreds of thousands of candidates at one time, you’ll need to make sure that your application is free of errors or mistakes that may automatically disqualify you from the position. Check for typos or other easy-to-correct errors that’d make your application look less professional. Make Sure You Fulfill the Requirements Before applying, make sure you fulfill all the requirements for employment. For instance, if the airline requires that you have a passport, make sure you’ve got one. If you don’t, the hiring managers will likely get rid of your application right away. How to Stand Out at Your Interviews Flight attendant interview days can be stressful affairs. You’ll often be interviewed amongst hundreds of your peers who’re applying for the same limited spots. Follow these tips to stand out from the pack. Make Sure You Look Professional As I mentioned previously, airlines place a high value on having their flight attendants be neatly groomed. Make sure you’re wearing a professional outfit, that your hair is neatly combed, and that you are awake and alert during the interview. Practice Flight Attendant Skills Airlines may have you demonstrate flight attendant skills during your interview, such as making an announcement on the PA loudspeaker of an airplane or dealing with an unruly customer. Prepare for these scenarios ahead of time by practicing what you’d say over the loudspeaker (remember to speak slowly and clearly) or how you’d deal with an angry customer. Coming in prepared for any scenario will help you stand out and give you a sense of calm during the interview process. Demonstrate That You Can Work Well As Part of a Team Flight attendants are part of a team. They work with other flight attendants on the plane, as well as with the captains and first officers who fly the planes. Make sure that you demonstrate your ability to be a good teammate during the interview process. Be prepared to highlight specific examples from your previous work where you’ve had to collaborate with other employees or positively resolve a workplace conflict. If there are any group activities, treat your other applicants cordially and respectfully, even though you’re competing for the same job. Training to be a Flight Attendant Once you’ve been provisionally hired as a flight attendant, you still have to complete the long and difficult training. Not everyone who’s accepted to training makes its all the way through to officially become a flight attendant. Knowing what you’ll face when going into training can help prepare you. Flight attendant training is an intense, multi-week program. You’ll be in training from anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. You’ll likely have to move away from home to be at the training, which means you’ll be away from your friends and family. Your training will consist of educational and physical portions. You’ll learn about the codes, rules, regulations, and theories you need to know to safely transport passengers from one place to another. You’ll also go through the physical requirements of being a flight attendant. You’ll learn how to evacuate a flight, how to stow and remove luggage, and how to protect and see to passengers in the event of an emergency. To complete your training, you’ll be required to pass a safety, emergency, and evacuation test administered by the FAA. For most airlines, you must pass with a 90% or higher in order to be accepted as a flight attendant. Review: Is a Career as a Flight Attendant Right for You? If you’re wondering how to become a flight attendant, it’s first important to understand if being a flight attendant is right for you. Flight attendant jobs are quite difficult, and the path to becoming a flight attendant is long and competitive. Make sure that your application is polished and competitive so that you standout from the pack.

Generational Differences About the Use of Technology in the Workplace Research Paper

Generational Differences About the Use of Technology in the Workplace and What Public Managers Can Do About It - Research Paper Example 79). What the introduction of new technology in workplaces seems to be offering are opportunities and a wide variety of services being offered. All things being offered by technology seems to be unified by a single factor; increased productivity and efficiency. On the hand, several companies have been quick to take advantage of technological advancement, adopt these technologies in their office premises, and tout improvements in their business performance that has been significant. With time, the physical office seems to be losing its importance and significance. Therefore, the employees are encouraged to embrace technology and telecommunicate from any locate that they prefer. With the workers physically isolated from each other, it is inevitable for them to suffer a blow in the interpersonal skills and workplace relationship deterioration. With the media hypes on the subject of technology in the past few years, the revolution in business technology would transform slowly with the inventions of new office equipment’s. Those willing to adapt and keep pace with the flexibility and advancement in technological development have chances of surviving and prospering in business world as compared to other business that are not ready to use of technology in their offices (Smola and Sutton, p. 363). In today’s world, business has taken unprecedented twist; it does not happen face-to-face, as many people would think. Instead, in today’s communication is fully depending on calls made from conferences and chains of emails that make it challenging for employees or any business person involved to know his or her partner. Unprecedented laments have also been heard among business people who have been dissatisfied with the advancement in technology in the workplace that has been adopted as the norm in business daily lives. With the increasing number of workers who are

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Education - Essay Example Another importance of nursing education is to enlighten the nurses on what is require of them as well as the most effective way of resolving issues pertaining to their duties as professional (Keating, 2010,p. 3-5; Bradshaw& Lowenstein, 2011, p.1). Nursing Learning Styles These are hypothetical models, which suggest the existing manners of acquiring knowledge and help teacher or lecturer plan and meet the needs of their students. Nursing is a profession characterised by great diversity in terms of culture as well as economic status  of the individuals practicing it as well as the patients the nurses attend to or interact. Nursing professionals are required to learn how to theorize, visualize, analyse, and then come up with the solution to resolve problems. The profession involves carrying several activities ranging from calculating dosages to complex interventions on matters pertaining to patients. To understand how different learning styles apply in nursing education, it is importa nt to have some understanding on the modes of learning applied by different nursing students. Individual learning skill required include visual, Auditory and kinaesthetic (Bradshaw& Lowenstein, 2011, p.279-282; Brockbank, 2002, p. 25). Visual is a critical learning technique for nurses and require that lecturers use material such as charts and illustrative diagrams in lecturing. Organizing notes into diagrams is also an important strategy used in nursing education. Auditory learning involves ability to listen and understand information, which is improved through recording information. Kinaesthetic is a mode of learning that suits individuals who prefer when information is presented in different forms other than having to listen to lectures (Ewan & White, 1991, p. 28; Ewan & White, 1991, p. 44-50). There are several learning styles but nursing profession aims at combining the different individual learning modes to come up with comprehensive styles to take care of the entire individua l profession. Nursing educations combines four learning behaviours found among nurses and include activist, reflectors, theorist, and pragmatist. The learning styles should aim at getting the learner to come out of their comfort zone and be able to experience, reflect on incidents, conceptualize the ideas and then make plans (Keating, 2010, p. 47; Ewan & White, 1991, p. 28). Activism entails involving the learners into several activities to enable them gain experience. This increases enthusiasm and the urge to lean more. This enables nurses to handle emergencies. Activists frequently involve themselves with other people and act fast. Demonstrations work well for this group of learners (Jarvis, 2006, p. 10-12; Brockbank, 2002, p. 33-35). Theorists are those learners capable of integrating vast quantity of information and adapt it into logical hypotheses. They prefer leaning through use of models, theories, as well as case analysis. Reflectors have the capability of viewing informatio n from different perspectives. They prefer learning by collecting information or case studies and analysing them. They are therefore reasonably accurate in making conclusions. They are also good auditory learners and tend to be cautious. Most nurses fall in this category. Use of discussions helps learners in this category Oermann & Heinrich, 2008, p. 50-55). Pragmatists are learners who desire to try out new ideas, which may include theories and novel techniques. They are innovative

”Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe Essay Example for Free

†Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe Essay In †Things Fall Apart† Chinua Achebe takes us to a Nigerian village at the time of the British colonization of Africa where substantial changes are affecting the inhabitants. Okonkwo is a proud African man who strives to succeed in the Igbo society. In his early days he created a name for himself by being a successful wrestler. He then put enormous effort into making his farm prosperous by working hard and creating a big family. That he appreciates hard work and discipline defines him as a father. When he realizes that his oldest son Nwoye is not of the quality he requires, he feels himself obligated to take action mostly with the use of violence thought he finds little pleasure in beating the children and views. It is rather a way to obtain respect and his way of parenting. To some extent this domestic aggression is accepted and is an acknowledged part of the Igbo culture. Apart from the elevated position he acquires other clansmen do not always agree with his impulsive nature as for the incident during the week of peace when he beat his wife. At first sight Okonkwo is a confident man who has no fears. This is deeply rooted in the view of how a man should be in their culture where the ability to not show any emotions is highly redeemed. But actually, a lot of his actions can be traced back to fear and insecurity. This fear clearly has to do with Unoka, his work-shy father who left nothing over to his son but debt after his death. Eventually, these moral standards conflict Okonkwo when affection starts to grow for Ezinma, the daughter of his second wife, feelings which he experiences are difficult to handle. He also feels especially bad after he killed the adopted boy Igbomefuna, an act that puts Okonkwo in a depression that if nothing else demonstrates that something has changed in his character. †Okonkwo was also feeling tired, and sleepy, for although nobody else knew it, he had not slept at all last night. He had felt very anxious but did not show it. When Ekwefi had followed the priestess, he had allowed what was  regarded as reasonable and manly interval to pass and then gone with his machete to the shire†. (p 82) One could wonder why he follows even though the priestess had requested to be alone with Ezinma during the sprititualic ritual. It is evident that breaking the rules of the ritualic traditions is not something he could let himself do easily. Not mainly would it be fright of the gods. Okonkwo tries to keep up a facede which involves obeying the traditions of his ancestors as for not showing emotions. And with a past as a warrior it is understandable why he is keen to not look weak. Reference list: Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe Litterature Criticism And Theory – Andrew Bennet Nicholas Royle (p.63-70)

Aids :: Free AIDS Essays

Aids The issue of HIV/AIDS has been a developing concern since the early 1980's. It is an issue that has sparked fear in everyone, but "society" has narrowed it down to certain people that can contract the AIDS virus. The stereotypical "AIDS" victim is not an IV drug user or a practicing homosexual; it is anyone, anyone who has unprotected sex, anyone who has had a blood transfusion in the past twenty years, or anyone who was innocently brought into the world by an infected mother. As unfair as it is, HIV/AIDS can attack someone whom society would have never "branded" as a stereotypical AIDS victim. This issue of HIV/AIDS needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed now. The epidemic of HIV/AIDS is on the rise in the state of Massachusetts. As many as 15,000 residents may be infected with the virus and not be aware of it and the majority of these victims are between the ages of twenty and forty. The only solution to this problem, as is the only solution to any problem, is preventio n through education. Of course it is easy to hand out literature and condoms to adults, but are they really going to listen? As a community, we can encourage HIV/AIDS testing, but will it be taken advantage of? Since these are adults being familiarized with HIV/AIDS, how to contract it, the consequences, and the raw statistics, they will probably disregard all of the information. Education on the issue of HIV/AIDS obviously needs to begin at an earlier age. HIV is spread most commonly by sexual contact with an infected partner. The virus can enter the body through the lining of the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum or mouth during sex. HIV also is spread through contact with infected blood. Prior to the screening of blood for evidence of HIV infection and before the introduction in 1985 of heat-treating techniques to destroy HIV in blood products, HIV was transmitted through transfusions of contaminated blood. Today, because of blood screening and heat treatment, the risk of acquiring HI V from such transfusions is extremely small. HIV frequently is spread among injection drug users by the sharing of needles or syringes contaminated with minute quantities of blood of someone infected with the virus. However, transmission from patient to health-care worker or vice-versa via accidental sticks with contaminated needles or other medical instruments is rare.

Economy on Food Essay

Many Americans consume food at an alarming rate without even stopping to think of what they really might be eating or how it ended up on their plate. If we just took the time to see how our food systems worked, we would notice the domino affect trickling down from government to average day Americans. In order for us to be able to grow and produce food, farmers are paid by our government in the form of subsidies. These crops often times do not grow naturally from the ground. Chemicals are pumped into the Earth causing problems for our environment. That food is than sent on journeys all over the world, including stops at feed lots. Animals are fed the crop which has more cons than pros to their digestive system and their bodies causing meat to have a higher concentration of fat. Of course these products are then distributed to our grocery stores and we buy them without the slightest bit of hesitation. Each one of these steps has an affect on the other and it might all be controlled by one problem – government subsidies. Without this control farmers might have the initiative to grow with their minds set on quality over quantity which in turn will have healthier affects on each level of our food economy. Farmers are large contributors toward the food for our society. The government pays farmers by controlling the supply and demand through subsidies keeping the farmers their jobs. However, the subsidies are based on how many bushels a farmer can grow, which leads to an overproduction. An example of a highly subsidized crop is corn. Alone, this crop causes environmental, animal farming, and society health issues. According to Michael Pollan, an author, activist, and Professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, for farmers to grow an abundant amount of corn it requires more chemicals and pesticides to maintain growing conditions. These chemicals eventually find its way into the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, killing marine life (45). When this crop is sold, farmers with livestock buy it as animal feed, for it is cheap. â€Å"Most of the animals we eat (chickens, pigs, and cows) today subsist on a diet of corn, reguardless regardless of whether it is good for them† (Pollan, 44). Cattle are not use to an all corn diet which causes farmers to feed them antibiotics to fight off any illness and or infections. Once these animals pass inspections they are sent off to a slaughter house to become the meat we eat, which is filled with antibiotics and corn. Corn comes in a sugar additive form be more accurate -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:25 PM called high fructose corn syrup. It is commonly found in soft drinks because it is so sweet and cheap. Due to the subsidy, it took the place of sugar. There is â€Å"†¦ no coincidence that the wholesale switch to corn sweeteners in 1980’s marks the beginning of the epidemic of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in this country† (Pollan, 44). Since the subsidy caused overproduction and extremely low prices, America has let itself go in becoming one of the fattest and laziest nations by turning to fast food restaurants instead of home cooked meals. The government pays farmers to grow these commodities (i. e. corn, soy, wheat, rice, and cotton) for their overproduction and â€Å"†¦ the farm bill what farm bill? offer context for quote -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:26 PM does almost nothing to support farmers growing fresh produce†¦ The reason the least healthful calories in the supermarket are the cheapest is that those are the ones the farm bill encourages farmers to grow† (Pollan, You Are What You Grow). While fruit and vegetable prices increased 40 percent from 1985-2000, the price of soft drinks, containing corn, declined 23 percent (Pollan, You Are What You Grow). Through government subsidies and the farm bill, it has caused several problems concerning the environment, and animal and society health. Government subsidies need to be looked at and changed considerably. Farmers need to stop overproduction and instead of being paid by bushels, be paid to limit production and support prices (Pollan, You Are What You Grow). By supporting prices and limiting production, crops may not be so high in demand, further resulting in animals eating what they are accustomed to and Americans eating healthier with fewer unknown additives put into their food. Here you have moved to possible solutions — save it for that section. -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:28 PM The overproduction of corn in America has raised many questions regarding the process and production of corn and how it is affecting us Americans today. Need a different transition here, one that spins off from last paragraph -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:29 PM Many documentaries about corn, the production, process, and distribution have been experimented with and caught on tape, while more problems have risen about conditions of corn and farming. Such Aforementioned problems have revealed that though corn is cheap and easy, it increases health risks for our bodies and to animals as well. Michael Pollan author of â€Å"When A Crop Becomes King,† writer for the New York Times states that â€Å"nowhere have humans done quite as much to advance the interests of this plant as in North America , where zea mays has insinuated itself into our landscape, our food system-and our federal budget. † Pollan is revealing that people may question the food production and if producers are looking out for our best interest or not. We still buy the same products and dont ask the important questions, though, we just accept that it is a way of life. We complain that food is unhealthy and there are rarely any alternatives that are just as quick and tasty as fast food, instead, we need to choose our own alternatives rather then blame the fast food industry. Corn has been processed and has become an American product for the past few decades, â€Å"we’re sacrificing the health of both our bodies and the environment by growing and eating so much of it[†¦ ]that’s cause for our concern† states Polan in another quote from The New York Times. Though we have the production of corn processed in foods and fed to animals to make there meat more fatty, the best strategy that has kept the zea mays in business is the development of high fructose corn syrup. Look on the backs of soda cans, candy bars, even apples and you will notice that there is high fructose corn syrup in our americanized products. Corns being processed into all of our foods, drinks, and animals is only part of the problem, Polan states that â€Å"Modern corn hybrids are the greediest of plants, demanding more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crop also requiring more pesticide then any other crop. † Corn isn’t as cheap as we suspect it to be, the diet for corn consists of a plethera of water and is sprayed with chemicals each time it’s grown. Due to the chemicals that are sprayed, â€Å"these chemicals find its way to the Mississippi River which carries it to the Gulf of Mexico, which has already killed marine life in a 12,000 square mile area. † Polan again reveals that if we take a step back, we will realize that our environment is suffering just as much as we are, we are temporary on this earth we need to remember that the environment is not to be tempered with, but natural. The process of cornification and new developments if cheap and easy products, has cause a domino affect in our health system. Although our environment is suffering due to over use of chemicals, we do not end there. nice T -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:33 PM According to the U. S Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, each year in the United States, 10 billion land animals are raised and killed for meat, eggs, and milk. To an average American with no prior knowledge of our food economy this might seem like a minuscule fact, however; it is the way in which these animals are farmed which has dire consequences on our societies health. Farm animal welfare expert Dr. Donald Broom states; â€Å"Efforts to achieve earlier and faster growth, greater production per individual, and efficient feed conversions and partitioning are the causes of some of the worst animal welfare problems. † The farming of livestock has changed dramatically over the past centuries. Many still think of farming as the rural collections of barns and field where animals are free to graze and move about until they are executed effectively, â€Å"in reality, some farms are massive industrial-type facilities owned and operated by large corporations†¦ [and] although they make up a small percentage of American farms, they handle a large percentage of the animals killed for food in the United States† (Breakdown of Livestock Farms, North American Industry Classification System in Census of Agriculture). These factory farms are also known as CAFO’s or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Because of the over production of corn, these animals diets consist of nothing but it. Since corn is a high-starch, high-energy food, it decreases the time it takes to fatten the cattle and increases the yield from these farms. According to the documentary, King Corn, cattle are fed for anywhere between 140-160 days and than slaughtered, however; corn is not the natural diet of cattle and since it is not, many problems have stemmed from this abnormal diet. They are becoming fatter at an alarming rate which is good for the company’s wallets but not for our waist lines considering â€Å"65% of calories from burgers are energy calories from fat† causing a direct line between obese cows, and obese Americans (King Corn). The problem lies within the cattle’s digestive system. The heavy corn diet acidifies the cow’s digestive tract and causes bacteria to form. Under normal circumstances a bacteria known as â€Å"E. coli 0157: H7 would be killed by stomach acids but the increased amounts of acid allows for the more acid resistant bacteria to thrive and reproduce† (Richard J.Arsenault, Corn Fed Cattle: Bigger Cows, Bigger E. coli Threat. )nice addition of detail, but paraphrase — wording not worthy of quote status 🙂 -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:37 PM Cattle are being forced to consume products which end up killing them slowly, and if it were not for the time of slaughter they would eventually die. Either way in which they die is not usually pleasant. awk -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:38 PM Cows may be raised in one state, fattened in another, and then slaughtered in yet another. During the transportation of these animals they are packed into trucks where they suffer from trampling, temperature extremes, and lack of food, water or veterinary care. When they reach the slaughterhouse, cattle may be hoisted upside-down by their hind legs and dismembered all while being conscious since the techniques for slaughter are surrounded around yield and not efficiency. The kill rate in a typical slaughterhouse is 400 animals per hour, and â€Å"the line is never stopped simply because an animal is alive,† according to a former slaughterhouse worker and author of â€Å"They Die Piece by Piece†, Joby Warrick. Are you drifitng away from topic? -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:39 PM There are no animal welfare laws regulating the treatment of billions of animals raised for their mean meat, eggs, and milk while they are on the farm. While all of the 50 states have cruelty laws, many exempt common farming practices. As a result of this, farm animals suffer immensely due to the fact that animal welfare is overlooked since the economic interests of the producer often conflict with the animals well-being. But the animals well-being is not the only consequence; factory farming effect the environment as well as society itself. The effects fast food has on Americans is a wide variety of different things, and society is one of them. Wendell Berry from The Pleasures of Eating says people â€Å"buy what they want–or what they have been persuaded to want–within the limits of what they can get. † (Berry 1) Berry feels that the advertisers of fast food companies make people feel that they need things that are not necessarily good for them because it is provided to them cheaply and with easy access. Society has been blind sided when it comes to where there food is from, the most an average urban shopper could tell you is that their food came from a farm. They are unaware of any further information such as; what farm it came from, where the farm is located, and how far the food had to travel to get to them. (Berry 1) Most Americans view food as something that does not concern them until it is put in front of them. They don’t spend any extra time thinking about the health aspects of their food until it comes time to purchase it or make it. Even then, Americans lives are so fast paced they don’t have tome time to worry about what is in their food. It is very obvious through commercials and other forms of advertisement that the industry does not care about the health of society. They advertise to young children and teens who do not know any better, this section seems to be about causes rather than effects -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:01 PM as well as hire immigrants that will work for low pay. It is very clear they are not aware of what they are providing their customers with. The industry has been able to create a vicious circle by advertising to children. These children grow up and feed it to their children, thus continuing the never ending cycle. As long as fast food restaurants are able to provide food at a cheap price, quickly the health of society will be a problem. There is no way we could possibly shut down all of the fast food restaurants but there are different things we could do just to make people more aware of what they are eating. When dining at a fast food restaurant it is hard to come across health information on the food they are providing you with, pamphlets providing this information should be offered to every customer much like how they offer you to super size your meal. Another idea would be to provide the dietary facts on the outside packaging of the product how they do at grocery stores on every item sold. And this section seems to be about solutions -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:02 PM Societies health problems may be growing but our knowledge is also growing and we should get smart and look further into what we put into our bodies. What we put into our bodies has a lot to do with the increased health problems in society today, in years prior to 1994 diabetes in children was typically a genetic disorder that they had inherited and Type 2 diabetes only accounted for 5% of childhood cases now it accounts for at least 30%. (David Zinczenko Pg 1). This is actually on topic — the negative effects on health -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:03 PM So who do we blame for the fact that our health is going downhill? People should know how to eat properly and know better than to eat several meals a week from a fast food restaurants, I don’t think its the fact that people don’t understand what it could do to there body, its the lack of alternatives and the FDA does not require prepared foods to be labeled with health information. We have covered every street in America with fast food restaurants and made it almost impossible to come by a health food store. Why would Americans spend time looking for healthier alternatives when we have strategically placed several other unhealthy alternatives right in front of them. Fast food is not just affecting the health of people but also of our environment packaging from fast food restaurants can take up anywhere from 20-30% of our landfill space belongs in a different section -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:05 PM and add pollutants to our air. Fast food has a huge affect on society that witha few east steps in the right direction we could create a healthier America. A major downfall for the US is how we are able to provide food at such a cheap cost. It is awesome for the customers but for the people providing it (farmers) it is more of a cost to them. Michael Pollan, author of When a Crop Becomes King from the New York Times explains exactly how farmers are paying more money for corn in the long run, because â€Å"the average bushel of corn (56 pounds) sells for about $2 today; it costs farmers more than $3 to grow it. â€Å"(Pollan 1). If farmers are spending more money on corn than customers are paying for it how are they making any money themselves? Congress has decided to subsidize corn by the bushel, America is covered in 125,000- square miles of corn fields. Subsidies are grants given to an enterprise provided by the government that benefit the public. Does cheap food ever mean healthy food? Typically no. Advertisers will promote anything to get you to eat it! They target young children with anything from commercials to action figures. New York Times David Barboza author of the article If You Pitch it, They Will Eat says, â€Å"Big food makers like McDonald’s and Kraft Foods Inc. are finding every imaginable way to put their names in front of your children. † (Barboza 1) Companies view their sale pitches as harmless but they are a huge reason of America’s rise in obesity. Cheap food from fast food restaurants like Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and KFC are targeting teenagers and cheap is all that the average teenager can afford. That’s what they eat, cheap food that will clog their arteries and if it is eaten constantly could lead to some major health problems. If fast food was pricier maybe it would encourage teenagers to make there way to the grocery store and spend their money on foods that are better and more nutritious for them. The problems that have arosearisen -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 3:56 PM due to the new developments with corn and subsidies have drawn Americans and health developers to question the health risks. Corn has been a new popular development for the past few decades with the booming fast food industry and even to grocery stores across America. Cheap food and cheap prices not only make it easy for parents, but are quite a tasty treat to people anywhere. The solution to end the change and chemicalization of our environment will be too change the â€Å"agricultural act† as Wendall Berry, author of The Pleasures of Eating stated. The video, King Corn, has shown that corn has been genetically changed and is grown closer together which not only makes the food unhealthy, but it is unhealthy for the soil as well. Corn is distributed into many different products, sprayed with chemicals, and genetically altered so that it flatters the human eye. Corn also feeds the animals, in which farms put them in a box to feed instead of grazing along pastures, healthily. Berry states that animals are fed with antibiotics so they won’t die from the change in diet, and so they can fight off bacteria in their bodies. Our environment is where the earth began, slowly but surely we are killing off plants and animals for our benefits as â€Å"heavy consumers. † We want to make a solution to stunting environmental growth because it is all a domino affect. One part affects the whole puzzle, take away corn, and we are forced to find alternative sweeteners for soda, candy, fruit, and other products. An alternative to corn syrup is sugar, though more expensive, it is worth it if it benefits our bodies and environment. In King Corn, the college students say that there is â€Å"30% more sugar used in corn form† than before. This suggests that high fructose corn syrup is more unhealthy than sugar itself. Researchers at University of Minnesota also made the point that â€Å"high fructose corn syrup causes trygliceride levels in men to increase shortly after eating, which links to an increased risk of obesity and heart disease. † Our problem is corn and the production, we find alternatives such as going back to sugar, and letting the animals, plants, soil, grow healthier so that humans will be healthier. Lets face it, we don’t know what we are eating, but do we care to ask questions? Rather, we complain about how there are no alternatives to the fast and easy drive-thru. Our change in society with our environment will be slow, one less person going to McDonald’s, is one less employee making a hamurger, which is one less manufacturer making money on his or her product. Let’s come together and find our own alternatives, rather than having society determine for us. It is easy to say that Americans are victims when it comes to eating unhealthy. We are heavily influenced by fast food and marketing industries. Together, they promote and reel consumers in by making their products cheap and convenient. So, how do we fight back? According to Wendell Berry, an author and farmer, we need to start by eating responsibly. This includes preparing your own food, knowing where your food is grown (preferably closer to home), dealing directly with the farmer or gardener, and learning, about the economy, farming, and through observations (40). Eating responsibly is a life style one chooses, it definitely won’t happen over night. Blaming fast food companies for making America fat may be the easy way out of personal responsibility but America is to blame. Daniel Weintraub’s article states that â€Å"Statewide, the Center said 26 percent of schoolchildren are overweight† (42). 5 tips prob -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:14 PM The lack of exercise has caused childhood obesity to rise in consideration with the intake of fast food. Since fast food companies clearly play a role in the obesity problem America has, the change should start with them by offering healthier alternatives, smaller portion sizes, and nutritional facts on the food and beverages being consumed. But the bigger pictures focuses on the farm bill. The reason fast food companies can sell their food cheap is because of the subsidy system. Pollan states that â€Å"eaters want a bill that makes the most healthful calories in the supermarket competitive with the least healthful ones. Eaters want a bill that feeds schoolchildren fresh food from local farms rather than processed surplus commodities from far away. Enlightened eaters also recognized their dependence on farmers which is why they would support a bill that guarantees the people who raise our food not subsidies but fair prices† (You Are What You Grow). The only way that our nation can change the health problem it’s suffering from now is by taking the time to understand and know what they are really eating, along with what was done to it to make it taste the way it does. Originally, Government subsidies were intended to ensure that American people had enough food. Our Government wanted to make sure that our country would never have a problem regarding the amount of food we produce. Though the intentions of our nation were only to make sure that every person can have food in their belly, the result of starting the subsidy system, in fact, made things worse. Without subsidy, corn costs much more than it does with a subsidy. Since the Government decided that subsidies would be a good idea, farmers have taken advantage of the opportunity to increase their income. Over the years, chemicals have been put into corn to change its color, its ability to grow closer together, and how fast it grows. Not only that, but chemicals must be put into the soil to make it grow in general, because farmers have abandoned their old method of rotating crops and leaving the land fallow. Making these modifications to the corn crop has done what they wanted: increased the amount of corn produced, therefore increasing the amount of money farmers recieve. Unfortunately, it has also caused major problems in the health of the food. As mentioned previously, corn is fed to livestock. Since corn has such chemicals put into it, that’s exactly what the animals consume, and it makes the meat â€Å"have nine times as much saturated fats as grass fed animals†(King Corn). This means that the meat that humans consume, in addition to the corn itself, and corn syrup that humans consume, are much less healthy than we think. Paragraph should start here. Most of above is repeating what should have come before -Meline Akashian 11/27/10 4:17 PM The Subsidy system is flawed in that it’s intentions were for the health of the country, but it’s results are that all food is less healthy than it once was. Eliminating subsidies on corn will raise the price on corn, which in turn will raise price on meat, change the diet for livestock, and force companies to use natural sugar rather than corn syrup. These changes will result in less health issues, considering that â€Å"corn syrup [alone] has a higher risk of type 2 diabetes†(King Corn). If the government really was concerned with the health of our country, officials would have considered the health of not only the people, but the land, plants, and animals we depend on for survival. Getting rid of subsidies will only help the country toward its dream of better health.

A Case Study On Aurobindo Pharma - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1951 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Global strategy for Indian pharmacy companies and the opportunity in emerging markets: A case study on Aurobindo Pharma Focus Aim: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Case Study On Aurobindo Pharma" essay for you Create order To understand the trends in Indian pharmacy companies which have been recently going global by investing abroad with an intention for market expansion? Objectives: To find out the strengths of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry and analyse the pattern of Mergers and Acquisitions by various companies across the globe. To throw light on the strategies followed by Aurobindo Pharma in acquiring other pharma companies. Context The research includes strategy of the emerging pharmaceutical companies in India and understands the trends and process of the companies that have been going global to expand their market in the world-wide. Literature review: In pharmaceutical sector around the world, India ranks 4th in terms of volume and 13th in terms of value. In the year 2006 the value was USD 7.42 billion, the growth has been increased by 12.9% over the previous year. In this total sales 90% of the sales are accounted as generics and the remaining are patented drugs. Now a dayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s governments of various countries, patients and industries are pulling attention towards generic drugs, due to lower in cost and less RD investment than compares to that of the patented drugs. In the year 2005 the generic market has been increased by 20% in the world which is four times that of the patented drugs and three times that of the pharmaceuticals market. US market alone had acquired 44% of the generic drugs (Pharmabiz, 2009). The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of generic drugs in Indian pharmaceuticals has been increased by 16.6% during the period of 2001-05. The expected CAGR during the period of 2009-14 would be 13.2% and appro ximately the total value may reach $15,490m in 2014 (Research and Markets, 2009). In the year 2009 in India there were more than 80 FDA approved plants, Italy (55) and China (27). The Indian pharmaceuticals companies like Cipla, Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lab; Wockhardt, Lupin and Nicholas Piramal are doing well in developed market such as US and Europe. These companies have exciting values in formulation, bulk drugs, generics, novel drug delivery system, new chemical entities, biotechnology etc (Research and Markets, 2007). 4.1 Indian pharmaceutical market structure: Source: Cygnus, 2007 According to Dr. Richard Gerster, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Indian  pharmaceutical industry is a success story providing employment for millions and ensuring that essential drugs at affordable prices are available to the vast population of this sub-continent.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The Indian pharmaceuticals ranks very high in terms of quality, technology and the range of medicines manufactured. Indian pharmaceuticals market will grow 10-14%, to touch $40 billion by 2015 (Mckinsey, 2009). India has a powerful biotechnology that can overthrow by the revolution of agriculture, healthcare, industrial processing and environmental sustainability. In India there are 100 research laboratories and more than 400 educational and training institutes across the country (Pharma India, 2005). Major companies in India 2006 Source: company annual report FY 2006-07, *annual report 2006 December ending. In the above figure y-axis indicates to turnover (Rs.bn) Indian pharmaceuticals is divided into two benefits, one is strong domestic consumption growth and robust export opportunities (Indus view, 2009). 4.2 Mergers and acquisitions of Indian pharmaceutical companies The major reason for acquisitions is to attaining access to new technologies, clinical research, catapulting the market share and platform for improving custom synthesis and working with new clients. The major companies acquiring acquisitions in India are Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, Dishman and Wockhardt. In generics Acquirer Target Value USD million Date Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Beta pharm (Germany) 574 Feb-06 Ranbaxy Terapia (Romania) 324 Mar-06 Ranbaxy Ethimed NV (Spain) Mar-06 Ranbaxy Allen spa (Italy ) Mar-06 Aurobindo Milpharma (UK) 13 Feb-06 Jubilant organosys Target research association (US) 34 Oct-05 In branded formulation Sun pharma Able laboratories (US) 24 Dec-05 Valeant pharma (2 facilities) (Hungary, US) 10 Aug05 Active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API) Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Rocheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s API business (Mexico) 59 Nov-05 Matrix Docpharma (Belgium) 263 Jun-05 Over the last decade the outsourcing has become the important part for the pharmaceutical companies. The main reason for the outsourcing is rising pressure to reduce costs, and time-to-market, this leads to the increasing the technical demanding areas such as drug discovery and biotech RD. Outsourcing opportunities has been rapidly growing in the market like Eastern Europe, China, India. Indian pharmaceutical industries are putting effort on the development of the product for global generic market and this will be visible with the DMF filing at the US FDA (DMFs are generic dossiers filed with the FDA in order to allow the API to appear in marketed drugs). 30% of the DMF filings at US FDA are filed by Indian companies. Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, aurobindo, cipla, Ranbaxy, matrix and lupin are the leading Indian companies of DMFs filed in US. From the sources of US and European countries they made research on Indian based pharmaceuticals companies regarding merging and acquisitions and they were pleased to announce some name to the Indian companies and decided to name as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Indian Pharmaceutical MNCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Mainly US and European countries have focused on Indian due to the vast change in research work done and the main plus points for them were the laws of Indian government have changed drastically like providing new opportunities to launch patented molecules this point made them interest in investing Indian pharmaceuticals, and likewise India pharma is becoming strong manufacturing stand and with low-cost development, manufacturing destination. Source: Shivani Shukla, 2006. The global has been rapidly changing into the generic market; here are some companies that have been invested, acquired and deals in 2008-09. Green cross Pharma in Singapore was acquired by Ascent; Pfizer plant in Ireland was acquired by Hovione, PharmaPro manufacturing facility was acquired by URL Pharma, ECR pharmaceuticals was acquired by HI-Tech pharmacal.   Source: Research and Markets, 2009. Indian pharmaceutical market in U.S., has been continuously increasing, a $440 billion market appoints 47% of the global pharmaceutical market. In February 2009, Indian pharmaceutical companies including large and mid-sized all together have assured approvals for 15 Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) (Indus view, 2009). Strategies: In order to expand their market some companies have entered into foreign markets in generic drugs segment. Some companies have entered directly by setting their own sales and marketing organisation, either in organic manner or through acquisitions and others have entered these market through partnership or merging with well established companies. Ranbaxy acquired Ohm Laboratories in US in 1995, Jubilant Organosys acquired Cadista pharmaceuticals (formerly Trigen Laboratories) an US generic company in 2005. Aurobindo Pharma gained an FDA-compliment formulations manufacturing plant in Dayton, New Jersey in 2006, in the same year the company acquired Milpharm LTD in UK. Dr. Reddyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s approved as a MHRA manufacturing facilities in UK. Wockhardt has a manufacturing facility in UK, Ireland and France (espicom, 2009). Aurobindo Pharma: Aurobindo was founded in the year 1986, by Mr P.V. Ramaprasad reddy, Mr. K. Nithyananda reddy and some highly committed group professionals. Aurobindo pharma launches Asiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest formulation facility in India in 2009. Vision of the company is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To become Asias leading and one among the top 15 generic Pharma companies in the world, by 2015 (aurobindo, 2009). RD of the company lies in developing intellectual property in non-infringing processes and resolving complex chemistry challenges. Aurobindo pharma expects to reach $2 billion by the end of the year 2013, the company licensing deal with Pfizer to sell generics drugs in more than 70 emerging companies and developing market in India (Fierce pharma, 2009). Aurobindo pharma is the first company that makes acquisition in Europe acquires Milpharm in UK in 2006, on agreement with the U.K. Whyte group LTD and Iracot LTD. This acquisition makes the company to gain immediate access to European markets. This company is profit making company in generic; it takes ownership over hundred Marketing Authorizations (MAs) Medicines, and Health care products Regulatory Agency, UK (UK MHRA). Milpharm records  £7.7 million in 12 months of period ended 30th September 2005 (Aurobindo, 2006). Source: THE HINDU, journal, 2006 Source: PR Domain News Release, 2006 The above pie chart indicates that Aurobindo pharma exports break-up in the year 2006 Research methodology à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Researchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ the term fundamentally means expedition for information or data collection. It certainly means to accumulate the information regarding certain queries and to build up a convinced scheme for that question. If there is no such a word like research all the scientific and social projects could be resulted in guess work and inexact data.   The descriptive or relative, qualitative research work is typically probing, in concern it can either contain some or all the criterion mentioned below. (Miles, 1994) Extremely intensified and drawn out contact in the field. Designed to attain a holistic or complete picture. Little consistent instrumentation is used. Most analysis is done with words. Take into account the experiences, opinions and feelings of the participants. The research strategies generally used are the chosen case study and the grounded theory. 5.1 Research paradigm A research paradigm is expanded to the critical thinking of the students that may help the students to gain a clear view about the research with the different examples. Positivist paradigm is based on the philosophical idea which explores the social reality. Positivism paradigm has been influencing the educational research for a long time, later half twentieth it is criticized due to the lack in subjective states of individual. 5.2 Research approach There are four different types of research approaches, they are specification of a theory, design based on the theory, implementation, and evaluation. This research includes deductive and inductive quantitative comes under deductive and qualitative comes under inductive. Quantitative method mainly includes objectively, caution and types of questions in this are pre-specified and outcome oriented. Qualitative mainly includes subjectively, meaning of the report. Types of questions are open-ended and process oriented. 5.3 Research method The research study is basically to understand the impact of pharmaceutical industries that have been going global to increase their market. Thus, given the research aim and objectives of the study, methodology that is employed for this study is basically to desk study rather going for primary survey method. The Aurobindo Pharma chosen for the case study is taken into account with a view point and to review how the company acquired and merged with other companies. 5.4 Sampling procedure A sample is a finite part of statistical population, whose properties are studied to gain the information of the whole (Webster, 1985). When it comes in case of dealing with people, it can be defined as a set of respondents picked out from a larger group for the reason of survey. So as a part of sampling technique the questionnaire is to be conducted between a selected group of actual client and non client households during the course of the survey. 5.5 Method of data Analysis The published data collected on the pharmaceutical industry will be analysed with the help of diagrams, graphs and pie charts and draw conclusions based on the results obtained. Saunders et al (2003) claims that there is no standard models to analyzing qualitative data but discuss one technique where the data are disaggregated into meaningful categories that are subsequently rearranged and analyzed for related data and key themes. Data collection Secondary data collection The data is mostly collected from the secondary form of publications like articles, Indus view, InPharma publishers, Cygnus business consulting and research, Pharmaceutical journal newspapers, Pharmabiz, market and research. Primary data collection Primary data is the collection of ideas all the way through the chain of various semi-structured consultations conducted by the researcher. This data can be collected by conducting interviews and by daily written record of experiences and observations. The research includes questionnaire, case Ethical consideration Time plan Activity July August September Week Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1.Holiday 2. Read Literature 3.Finalise Objectives 4. Draft Literature Review 5. Read Methodology Literature 6. Devise Research Approach 7. Draft Research Strategy and Method 8. Develop Questionnaire 9. Pilot Test and Revise Questionnaire 10. Administer Questionnaire 11. Enter Data into Computer 12. Analyse Data 13. Update literature read 14. Complete remaining chapters 15. Submit to tutor and await feedback 16.Print, bind 17. Submit