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Meta has announced a new mobile video editing app called Edits, which will be available in app stores in February 2025. The announcement comes hot on the heels of ByteDance's CapCut temporary removal from major app stores as part of the TikTok ban, leaving creators scrambling for alternatives. The timing is no coincidence, of course. Meta has a history of making strategic moves to fill market gaps. Remember when they launched Instagram Reels right after TikTok's ban in India? Or how Threads emerged as X (formerly Twitter) was going through changes? Still, the news will be a welcome surprise to Instagram Reels creators — particularly since it looks like it’s going to be a pretty powerful app! Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared some interesting details about the app on Instagram and Threads — along with a video he actually filmed in Edits. I’ll be honest: even though I’m a bit of a CapCut fan, I’m pretty excited about everything Mosseri has teased so far. Here’s a look at everything we know about the new video editing app (watch this space — I’ll update this article as soon as I’ve had some hands-on time with Instagram’s Edits!). It’s going to be a 'full creative suite'Source: Apple App StoreMosseri made it clear in his announcement that Edits isn't just another video editing app — it's positioning itself as a comprehensive creative toolkit for mobile video creators. "It's more than a video editing app, it's a full suite of creative tools," Mosseri explained on Threads. Here's what creators can expect: Standard video editing features, of courseA higher-quality camera (which Mosseri himself used for the announcement)A dedicated inspiration tab, featuring trending audio and ideas to spark your ownA space to save your own ideas and draftsDraft sharing capabilities for collaborationDetailed insights for videos shared on Instagram It’s for ‘serious mobile creators’Edits is for creators who are serious about mobile video production. As Mosseri put it, "It's more for creators than casual video makers." He specifically called out that there would be no templates on the app. That said, it’s definitely not going to work for those creating full YouTube videos or similar. For one thing, there will be no desktop version of the app. An ‘incomplete’ version will drop in FebruaryMosseri revealed that the Edits team has been working with a group of creators to improve the app for a few months, and they’re looking to expand this group in the coming weeks. iOS users can preorder the app now, which they’ll be able to download next month. Mosseri mentioned that the Android app is coming “soon,” which implies Android users might have to wait slightly longer to get their hands on Edits. If you're eager to dive in, Mosseri has one request: patience. "The first version is going to be incomplete," he admits, suggesting this is just the beginning of what could be a significant evolution in mobile video creation tools. The real question now is: Will Edits fill the CapCut-shaped hole in creators' toolkits — even now that U.S. creators might not have to say goodbye to CapCut at all? I'll be keeping a close eye on this one and updating as more details emerge. Are you planning to give Edits a try when it launches? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop them in the comments below! View the full article

If you’re not an experienced content creator, it might be difficult to determine the best length for Instagram Reels to get the best results. And knowing the ideal number isn’t everything – your metrics might tell you something entirely different. In this article, we explore everything you need to know about the ideal length of Instagram Reels and other Instagram content – according to the team themselves. How long can Instagram Reels be?Instagram Reels can be anywhere from 15 seconds to 3 minutes in length. Previously, Reels were capped at 90 seconds, until Instagram increased the length of video uploads in January 2025. "We’ve heard a lot of feedback from a lot of you creators out there that 90 seconds is just too short," Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video, "So we’re hoping that upping that limit up to three minutes will help you tell the stories that you really want to tell.” Technically speaking, you can upload videos as long as 15 minutes on Instagram. However, Instagram sets very clear boundaries for how long a reel should be to perform well (this is an important caveat). When filming a video within the Instagram app, users can choose from various specific durations —15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds. Everything from the reel templates to the ideas you’re shown all cap at the 90-second mark, and you won’t be able to film additional clips. (At the time, of writing, the 3-minute update had not yet rolled out to all users.) But while you can’t make reels longer than 90 seconds within the app, you can upload longer videos than the available time limits in the content uploading section of your app. The video will just be cut off after the allowed time elapses. 💡Plan, organize, and schedule your Instagram Reels with Buffer. Here’s how →Once you’re done editing your video, add eye-catching graphics, a call-to-action (CTA), and hashtags to increase your content’s discoverability in the Instagram feed. Can you upload longer Instagram Reels?Yes, you can upload any video up to 15 minutes, and it will automatically be turned into a reel. When you upload a video filmed or edited outside the Instagram camera, there’s no need to choose a specific video length. You’ll have access to most of the same editing tools and functionality of the reels process (no music or extra clips, so make sure to add that before you upload). Make sure your video fits the expected Instagram Reels dimensions of 1080 x 1920 pixels so it fits neatly into the feed and gives the full-screen experience. If you want to upload a longer reel, simply go to your camera roll and select the video or videos you’d like to upload and they’ll pop up in the editing area. ⚠️Note that these videos are not prioritized by the Instagram algorithm and will not be recommended in the reels tab, but they can be viewed on the Feed and on your profile.How long should an Instagram Reel be?Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, has previously shared that uploading reels longer than 90 seconds could hurt distribution (though we expect this to extend to up to 3 minutes once the update is fully rolled out). However, length is not the only factor you have to consider – things like high-quality visuals and effective messaging are also vital when it comes to social content and holding user attention. Many creators work around the suggested limit for video lengths by directing their followers to "read more" in the captions. They create very short videos that are pleasing to watch in a loop while their audience reads through the captions or engages in the comments. How long can an Instagram Story be?An Instagram Story can be up to 60 seconds long and will disappear after 24 hours. You can add multiple 60-second videos if you want. Previously, longer videos were broken down into 15-second clips as they were uploaded to Stories, but now the maximum length is 60 seconds, and it remains as a single video. They also won’t appear in your main feed, other users' For You Pages, or following feeds. Your Stories will only be visible when followers tap on your profile photo, either while viewing your profile or within the DMs or messages tab. Here’s a quick tutorial to film or upload content to your Story on Instagram: Tap the Create button – the + icon at the bottom center of the screen when you open the appSwipe to the Story option, which is the second option in the bottom centerRecord your Story or upload your content by tapping the bottom left of your screenAdd your stickers, music, or text.Hit the → button to upload!How long can Instagram carousels be?Instagram carousels can have up to 10 photos or videos. Users on mobile can view carousel posts by swiping left, while desktop users can click through using the arrow button on the right-hand side of a post. To create an Instagram carousel post, choose Post in the creation area and hit the overlapping squares in the middle right of the screen to select multiple images and videos. You can add trending sounds or music to your Instagram carousel by clicking on the music symbol in the top right corner of your screen. Make sure your track of choice doesn’t run out before the user has finished swiping through the carousel. The length of Instagram Reels vs. TikToks vs. YouTube ShortsTikTok videos can be up to 30 minutes long, depending on your region. The maximum video length for YouTube Shorts is 3 minutes (any new videos longer than that will be published as regular YouTube videos but keeping the portrait aspect ratio). And of course, the ideal time limit for Instagram Reels is also 3 minutes seconds, but you can upload videos of up to 15-minutes in length. Reels was Instagram’s response to the rise of TikTok’s short-form content, although TikTok seems to be leaving the short-form space behind to compete with longer-form YouTube videos. The platforms don’t feel all that different. In fact, it’s common for creators to use Instagram Reels on TikTok and YouTube Shorts — we even recommend doing so for more visibility on your posts. 💡It’s important to remember that the Instagram algorithm penalizes content with a watermark from other platforms, which is something to consider when cross-posting video content.Refine your social media strategy for short-form videoWhile crossposting your content is the smart choice, especially to ease the content creation process, it’s wise to pick a primary social media platform for your videos and create your content with your target audience’s needs and preferences in mind. If you’re stuck on which short-form video platform is best for you, you might want to create a social media marketing strategy. Everyone from influencers to social media managers finds this process helpful. This social strategy guide will get you started and guide you through some questions to help you make the best choice for your social media goals. Finally, instead of focusing solely on the length of your videos, remember you have to produce quality content on Instagram, too. Your videos should perform well as long as you’re making reels that users find interesting and useful. View the full article

Learn the four types of keywords in SEO and how to optimize your content to rank for each type of keyword. View the full article

Battambang is on the Northern Line that operates between Poipet and Phnom Penh. Here is what to expect on the train from Battambang to Phnom Penh. Battambang – Phnom Penh train details The Northern Line is the train line from Phnom Penh to Poipet (on the Cambodia-Thailand border). There is usually one train per day in each direction between Phnom Penh and Poipet, but at the time of my visit the Battambang-Poipet section wasn’t operating. Depart Battambang: 3:00 pm Arrive Phnom Penh: 9:30 pm The official booking site is at https://royalrailway.easybook.com. I use Baolau to buy Cambodia train tickets. If you are overlanding from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, there is a train from Bangkok to Ban Klong Luk Border. From this station you can walk across the border to Poipet. From Poipet to Battambang you will need to get a van or taxi as there is currently no train service. Battambang Station Battambang Station is in the city centre, 450 metres from the riverfront. There are no shops inside the station, which is fair enough considering there is only one train per day in each direction. Some food vendors show up before the train, but you would be better off to have lunch first and bring your own snacks. There wasn’t anyone at the ticket office when I arrived, and the only travel information was this timetable written on a whiteboard. Onboard Battambang – Phnom Penh service This service featured two carriages with padded bench seats. The train is a diesel multiple unit (DMU), which means the engine is inside the carriage and not a separate locomotive. The carriage with the engine was noisier, so I sat in the last carriage. The carriages have fans and the windows can be opened. The combination of fan and open air made for a comfortable journey. There were only 10 people onboard when the train departed, so there was no worry about not getting a ticket. I still prefer to book in advance, especially if this is a preplanned travel event that I don’t want to miss. I enjoy these trains with open windows. The combination of fresh air and feeling closer to the landscape makes for an enjoyable journey. I also know that these trains will soon be a thing of the past. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t stick your arm or head out of the window. The train has a toilet onboard. The line is a single track, so if there is a train coming in the other direction then one of the trains has to wait at a passing loop. The train made some stops along the way to drop off passengers and parcels. We also had to stop for some cows that were on the track. The train toots its horn frequently as there are many unmanned level crossings. It’s a slow trip but it’s more scenic than by going by road. The train goes through rice fields, and seeing the occasional temple in the distance is a special sight. Pursat Station The main stop in between Battambang and Phnom Penh is at Pursat. The train stops for 30 minutes here, so it’s the only chance to buy food or drinks on the trip. There are food vendors next to the station. This is a popular stop with more people getting on here to go to Phnom Penh. [A Pursat cat wondering if it should go to Phnom Penh.] Phnom Penh Railway Station The train is scheduled to arrive in Phnom Penh at 9.30, and on my trip it arrived at 9.35pm. [Battambang train at Phnom Penh.] On the platform to the left is the Kiha train that operates from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, which was my next trip. The Kiha train will eventually operate on the Phnom Penh to Poipet service, so this trip report will become a historical archive of what the the train used to look like. There are tuktuks waiting outside the station, but I used Grab app to book a taxi from the station. This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Job candidate’s name is a slur I recently reviewed a job application from a candidate whose given name is a slur. It’s not unheard of for people to be named this and there are still plenty of folks who don’t realize it is a slur. It’s not obscure knowledge by any means, but it’s definitely not as commonly understood to be harmful as more well-known slurs. The thing is, I know that it’s a slur and I don’t think I can address someone by a word that I know is harmful even though it’s their name and what they prefer to be called. The position is still open so I may get so many better qualified candidates that it doesn’t matter, but if I do end up needing to interview them … what am I supposed to do? Ours is a very informal work environment and everyone around me knows that I make a point of addressing everyone without titles or honorifics, including elected officials we work with. I don’t know their gender but if I find it out and end up using Mr. or Ms. Last Name, that would really stand out. Most people don’t choose their own names and I know what a pain it is to have your name legally changed, having done that myself, so I don’t want to exclude a good candidate because of this thing they probably didn’t choose. And yet, I don’t think I have it in me to say “Hey Racial Slur, can you finish up that TPS report for Bobby by end of day?” What is the right thing to do here? People should be called by their names, even if you’re uncomfortable with it. There are names in other languages that sound identical to obscene words in English, and those people should be called by their names too; this is no different. The important distinction is that in this usage, it’s their name, not a slur. In fairness, I do think there are some limits to this. If someone legally changed their name to King Of Turd Mountain and wanted to be called that, I think it would be reasonable to decline to play along (particularly when it comes to listing that name on your company website and so forth) … but someone going out of their way to try to be provocative/make people uncomfortable is a very different situation than someone just going by their given name. 2. Exec is marketing a job as a “roommate opportunity” I work for a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities. This week, a senior vice president sent an all-staff email advertising a roommate opportunity. He said his daughter, who lives with disabilities, is looking for a roommate and it’s a great deal — free rent! You get a stipend! You just have to split utilities! Oh, and be available every night on call if she needs help using the bathroom or with any other emergencies. A home health aide works with her during the day. Once again, he’s sharing this as a “roommate opportunity.” It’s … an overnight home health aide opportunity. And for the stipend, it is well below minimum wage (plus, a home health aide wouldn’t be expected to pay utilities!). It sounds like there’s no contract so there’s also no agreement upon things like time off, coverage, etc. You’d be on call every single night. In addition to serving people with disabilities, our organization also tries to hire people with disabilities. In addition, given the nature of the field, many of the people in the entry-level tier, doing things like helping people use the toilet, tend to be low socioeconomic status themselves and are often from immigrant communities that are more vulnerable to exploitation and/or less savvy about American workplace expectations. This “generous offer” feels really exploitative and inappropriate. It seems unethical in general for an SVP to try to recruit an under-the-table home aide for his daughter from his own staff. The nature of our work makes it even weirder; I would expect someone in our field to understand why this is unethical. What are your thoughts? Is this completely insane? You are correct: it’s exploitative, and it would be inappropriate anywhere but is particularly misplaced at your organization. I’m sure he’s thinking “here’s an audience that’s particularly sensitized to the needs of the disabled and who might appreciate this ‘great deal’” … but, as you point out, it’s very much not a great deal to work every night for less than minimum wage, and he’s misusing his position by marketing it to people he has power over. Someone high-up in your organization should have flagged it. (Well, really, he himself should have realized before sending it that it wasn’t okay, but since that didn’t happen, someone else should have flagged it.) 3. Can I book an earlier flight to a conference than everyone else? In a few weeks, I am being sent on a big work trip to a four-day convention, my first one, although I have been with the company for many years in various roles. For a variety of reasons, such as plantar fasciitis, difficulty flying, autism/ADHD, and already being in a state of burnout, this is going to be an extremely hard trip for me. I’ve been told to expect 12+ hours on my feet and an additional 3-4 hours of dinner meetings each night. I cannot get out of it. I have a good reputation and am in a mid-level role with a lot of responsibility, but not compared to the other attendees from my company who are all 5+ levels above me on the org chart. Their assistants have booked them all on a flight that leaves at 6 pm after work the night before the conference starts, meaning we would not even be getting to our hotel rooms until 1 am the night before the convention. How bad would the optics be if I booked a flight earlier in the afternoon so I could be in bed at a reasonable hour? I am in charge of my own flight arrangements. I will also need some additional accommodation on the airplane that will be embarrassing to ask for openly in front of everybody. Knowing the company culture, I actually think flying out a day early to ostensibly see a friend or relative before the convention would go over way better than implying I can’t run on four hours of sleep like they all can, but I don’t want to lie. You know your company culture better than I do, but for the record: in most companies, it would be absolutely fine to say, “I don’t want to be exhausted for the first day of the conference, so I booked an earlier flight.” And that’s if you even needed to say anything at all; in a lot of cases you could just quietly book a reasonable flight and then, if asked if you were driving to the airport with the others, could just matter-of-factly say, “Oh, my flight leaves a couple of hours earlier.” But if you don’t think that will go over well, it’s perfectly fine to use a cover story. “I’m flying out a little earlier to meet a family member who lives there” may be a lie but it’s a lie that doesn’t harm anyone, doesn’t affect anyone but you, and is reasonable if it’s in service of avoiding company dysfunction (and preserving your privacy around on-flight accommodations). 4. What does a career coach do? I am unhappy in my current job and have been trying unsuccessfully to find something new for years now. I have multiple arts degrees and a job history that should translate into a good fill for most generic office jobs. However, I am totally overwhelmed about how to find these sorts of jobs and what they might be called in various industries so that I can apply. So I found a career coach, hoping that she could take a look at my skill set and help me track down jobs I would qualify for or translate my skill set for a particular industry. I honestly don’t care where I work or what I do — I just want to be paid fairly and not work with total jerks. However, that wasn’t what she seemed capable of doing. She was more like a high school guidance counsellor, making me take a number of personality and aptitude tests and asking a lot of questions about my “dream job.” One, I do not dream of labor, and two, I had my “dream job” and was chased out due to rampant sexual harassment and other bad behavior. I stayed way too long and developed anxiety issues because it was my “dream.” “Dream jobs” are a trap. I could not get her to move on to actually applying for jobs because she was so hung up on me finding passion for a career, and that’s just never going to happen. I’ve reached out to a few other “career coaches” and they all seemed to be in the same zone: helping me find my passion. I have passion, it’s just not for work. Did I just find a bunch of really bad coaches? Or is this what coaches do, and what I really need is another “assistance in finding work” person that’s called something else? This is indeed what a lot of career coaches, maybe even the majority, do. They’re often the live version of that old What Color is Your Parachute? book. You could try screening them by being very, very explicit before hiring someone that what you need is help figuring out what you’d be qualified for, not what you would be motivated by, but even then, unless you find someone unusually good, I’d worry that they’ll fall back on the “passion” framework. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find, but it does mean you’re going to have to do a lot of pre-screening before engaging someone. Part of the problem is that there aren’t any particular qualifications required to be a career coach, so just because someone is calling themselves that doesn’t mean they’ll have any expertise at understanding the range of jobs out there and what would make someone a good match for an employer hiring for that job (versus the “let’s explore your inner world” bent that you’ve been encountering). You’d probably have an easier time if you can identify a handful of industries you’re interested in and then seek out recruiters who work in those fields; they’re better equipped to help you position yourself as a candidate than many coaches are. (To be clear, recruiters work for employers, not candidates — but if you have skills they’re looking for, good ones can help match you to those jobs.) But that’s a little different than what you’re looking for. 5. Should I pay $600 for a certification I need for a job I’d like? I’m trying to decide if I should study for and spend the money to take a board certification test. I’ve been working at my company for five years and have been a working, licensed professional for 14. I have an interest in moving more into a corporate role, and have a big interest into moving into a computer-based role. However those jobs are very rare to open up and are highly competitive when they do. There is a different, more regulatory role in the health system that has opened up recently. It requires a specific, niche board certification. I emailed the hiring manager asking if they would consider hiring someone with a “certification within 6 months of hire” clause and was told no. The cost of signing up for the test is $600. I think I could do well in the role and would enjoy it, and it also works closely with the department I want to move into. But it’s hard to fathom spending that much money for the sake of a job I may not even get an interview for. Would the certification also make you a stronger candidate for other jobs that you’d want to apply for — and would you be a compelling candidate for those jobs once you had the certification? If so, it could be a worthwhile investment. But if not, I don’t recommend spending $600 just for a chance to be considered for a single job. View the full article

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This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2018. A reader writes: I have a problem with a coworker and have been hesitant to send this to you as it seems petty but it has been bugging me for awhile. It started as a pet peeve but has moved into something bigger the more she does it. This coworker, I’ll call her Eleanor, demands you say “please” whenever someone asks her to do anything work related. Some examples would be as follows: “Eleanor, can you email me those forecasts for next quarter so I can get this project to our boss?” “Only if you say please.” “Eleanor, can I call you about this crisis so we can work out a plan of action?” “Only if you say please.” Generally I do say please, but on those occasions I forget I don’t want to be talked to like a three-year-old. This feels like a silly power play and it is a game I don’t want to play. She even does this to her boss! Another concern is that she is doing this to our customers and I feel like this does damage to our reputation and makes us seem difficult to work with. How do I respond when Eleanor says this to me without being rude (and without playing her game)? Is it that big of a deal that she is doing this to our customers as well? Should I just let that go? That’s incredibly obnoxious. “Only if you say please” is a statement that’s really only okay for a parent to say to a child, in the process of teaching said child manners. It’s not okay to chastise other adults with it, and it’s definitely not okay to say it repeatedly in a work context. (Once or twice as a joke is a different thing.) If Eleanor feels she’s not spoken to with sufficient courtesy, that’s something she can address with people — but this isn’t the way to do it. And I doubt that’s what this is about anyway. This sounds more like she seized on this as a cutesy response or is, as you suggest, a power play. Or maybe it’s become a tic and she barely realizes how often she does it. But regardless, it’s inappropriate and annoying. Your options: 1. Just make a point of saying “please” whenever you ask her for anything so that you short-circuit the annoyance. This feels like giving in, but it might be the most direct route to not having to deal with it … although it doesn’t solve the problem of her doing it to customers. 2. Tell her to cut it out: “Eleanor, we’re all adults here, and constantly responding that way is slowing things down and frankly coming across differently than you probably intend for it to. Could you stop?” (But if she responds to that with “only if you say please,” you have my blessing to make a voodoo doll of her and ritually destroy it.) 3. Tell her to cut it out, option 2: “If you feel I’m not treating you with sufficient respect, I’d certainly want to know about it, but I’d like respect back from you as well — so I’m asking you not to chastise me this way every time I need something from you.” 4. Ask your boss to tell her to cut it out: “Could you ask Eleanor to cut out the ‘only if you say please’ stuff? It was irritating enough when it was her constant refrain with just us, but she’s now saying it to customers, and I’ve got to think it’s putting them off.” (This is the kind of thing that some bosses would gladly handle and others would want you to handle yourself, so you’ve got to know your boss for this one.) Also, I guarantee you that Eleanor is annoying the crap out of everyone in her family. View the full article

It might take longer than you expect, but it’s so worthwhile. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

It might take longer than you expect, but it’s so worthwhile. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Technology is moving quickly. Are you keeping up? By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

Technology is moving quickly. Are you keeping up? By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

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Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2018. A reader writes: My company has a ridiculous late fine policy: you will be fined $2 for every minute, starting from 9:01 a.m. So if you come in at 9:05 a.m., that’s $10 you gotta pay up in cash. (This is not somewhere where down-to-the-minute coverage would be essential. It’s just typical deskbound, back-end work. I can see why the receptionist who gets the calls will need to be there smack on the dot, but the rest of us — not really.) I’ve been here for over a year, and have been fined maybe three times. They were for 9:01 a.m., 9:02 a.m. and 9:08 a.m. I was intensely annoyed and embarrassed, but okay, I can still absorb the $2-$16 financial pinch. I hate this policy because it nickel and dimes employees down to the first minute, and at a very high rate. I hate this policy because coming in at 9:01 a.m. does not makes you any less productive than the dude who came in at 9:00 a.m., whose bloody computer is still starting up. A few days ago, I overslept for the first time. I somehow slept through my usual TWO alarms and woke up with a start at 8:30 a.m. — an hour late. I immediately texted my manager that I had overslept and asked if it was possible to get an emergency, UNPAID, half-day leave. I had calculated that coming in an hour late would result in a $120 fine, which is painfully difficult for me to absorb. I’m a junior employee. My manager said no. She wanted me to come in anyway because “it’s the right thing to do.” I cried some tears of frustration, but told her okay and rushed like hell down, but not before racking up 45 minutes worth of late fine — $90. Alison, I understand that she wants me to be punished accordingly. I accept that sleeping through two alarms was all on me. At the same time — and I don’t know if this matters — I’m a relatively high performer at work. I truly enjoy what I do and do a decent job at it. I just received a glowing annual appraisal and got publicly commended by the director, in spite of my young age (this is my first job out of college) and junior position. Furthermore, I work overtime every day because my workload is high, even though we don’t get any overtime pay. And I’m not chronically late — this was my first time oversleeping. And yet, my manager rejected my request for an UNPAID, half-day leave. Technically, she is right and I deserved it. But I don’t think being rigidly strict here was warranted. Am I just entitled for feeling this way? If you divide my monthly salary by 30 days, $90 is what I earn in one day. I will have to cough up an entire day’s salary (worth three weeks of lunch expenses!) for this, and my manager was cool with that? I’m fuming, yet I don’t know if I have the right to be. Part of me wants to talk about this with my manager to see if it could’ve been handled differently — if I could’ve been given the unpaid, half-day leave. Is this worth revisiting with her about, and if so, how should I approach it? This is utter bullshit. I am IRATE over this. If you’re not in a job where coverage matters (like one where you need to answer phones or meet with clients starting at a precise time), then it really, really doesn’t matter if you’re two minutes late. I would think it was ridiculous for a manager even just to have a stern talk with someone for being two minutes late in a job where it doesn’t have any practical impact — but fining you? No. You are a professional adult holding down a professional job. The entire concept of fining you is offensive and ridiculous. If your manager has a problem with your time of arrival, she can do what a decent manager would do and talk to you about it. If it continues after that, she can decide what the consequences are. But they need to be normal work consequences (up to and including firing you if it’s that big of a deal, although I’m skeptical that it should be) — it can’t be digging through your wallet and taking whatever cash she finds there, or insisting you cut off two inches of your hair, or that you change your name to Xavier Sebastian Pumpernickel. And it can’t be making you turn over your own money for the privilege of working there. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Legally, though, in a lot of cases it would be allowed. I talked with employment lawyer Donna Ballman, author of the excellent book Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired, who agreed that federal law does allow this, as long the fine doesn’t take your pay for that period below minimum wage. But she noted that you might live in a state that prohibits it, and it’s worth checking into that. Also, if you’re non-exempt, they can dock your pay for the actual time you were late … although if you’re exempt, that docking could negate your exempt status, make you effectively non-exempt, and mean that you’d be entitled to overtime pay when you work over 40 hours in a week. (There’s an explanation about exempt and non-exempt here, but the gist is that “exempt” is a government classification meaning that the nature of the work you do makes you exempt from receiving overtime pay. If you’re exempt, they can’t dock your pay when you work fewer hours. If they do that anyway, they can end up owing you overtime pay, including retroactively.) Donna also pointed out: “The other thing I’d say you’d have to look at is the reason the employee was late. If it was to care for a sick child, spouse or parent, then punishing them might violate FMLA. If it related to a disability, then they might be violating the Americans With Disabilities Act. If it’s applied unevenly, then other discrimination laws could kick in. I’d say an employer doing this is, number one, a terrible employer, and, number two, taking a huge risk that they are violating some law.” As for what you can do here … First, it’s worth looking into the potential legal issues Donna raises. If there’s a legal violation here, your employers deserves to have someone pursue it. Second, look into whether you’re correctly classified as exempt. You said you don’t get overtime pay even when you work overtime, which means they’re treating you as exempt. I would bet good money that they’ve misclassified you (which many employers do), especially considering that this is your first job out of school and first jobs often don’t meet the bar to be exempt. And if that’s the case, they owe you a ton of overtime back pay. Even if you ultimately choose not to pursue that, it would be really handy leverage to have in any discussions about the fining. Third, recalibrate your expectations. Because this is your first job after college, you might be thinking this is more acceptable than it actually is. But it’s not normal to treated salaried professionals this way. It’s not something you should expect to find at future jobs. It’s not something you should be okay with now. And you have every right to be fuming about that $90 fine. You are not being entitled. You are being absolutely, entirely reasonable. So fourth, go back and talk to your manager. Say something like this: “I’m asking you to waive this $90 fine. $90 is what I earn in a day. I can’t afford to pay back an entire day’s salary. I work overtime every day, and it makes no sense for me to work long hours when I’m not given even a minute of leeway on the other end. I’m not chronically late, and I do excellent work. I don’t think I should be subject to a financial hardship for a one-time occurrence.” Fifth, consider pushing back on this entire abhorrent policy with a group of your coworkers. People have unionized over less. * I make a commission if you use that Amazon link. Read an update to this letter here. View the full article

Your data's probably already exposed. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

Your data's probably already exposed. Quick Tech Talk With Steve Yoss CPE Today Go PRO for members-only access to more Stephen Yoss. View the full article

January 20, 2025 Hey folks, I wanted to share a little trick I've been loving lately: it's called brown noise. Unlike white noise, it's deeper and more soothing, helping me stay locked in when writing, brainstorming, or clearing out my inbox; plus, it helps me with anxiety. Pair it with noise-canceling headphones, and it's productivity gold. If you want to try it, I recommend ​this 12-hour track​ with no loops or fades. Vic Our Favorite Articles 💯Remote Jobs Paying $100,000 Or More Are Making a Comeback (CNBC)Six-figure remote jobs are back on the rise, and here’s the kicker—they’re popping up in more industries than ever before. ​Check it out​. Remote Work Is a Game-Changer For Addressing Burnout In Workers (The Conversation)Remote work is burnout’s kryptonite—flexibility, balance, and no soul-crushing commutes (as long as you know when to shut the laptop). ​Read on​. In Maine, Remote Work Gives Prisoners a Lifeline (Boston Globe)At Maine’s Mountain View prison, remote jobs are helping inmates build skills, earn money, and prepare for a better life after release. ​Read more​. Why ‘Work-From-Anywhere’ Isn’t Going Anywhere In 2025 (Forbes)The office is out, and work from anywhere is in. ​Keep reading​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Too many emails? Declutter your inbox with Meco, your home for reading newsletters. Try it for free Remotive Jobs 💼Is this job for you? 👉 ​Customer Support Specialist at Clipboard Health​ (LATAM, EMEA, UK, Canada) 👉 ​Migrations Engineer at Discourse​ (EMEA, Americas) 👉 ​System Administrator at Discourse​ (Americas) 👉 ​Software Engineer - Customer Projects - Americas at Discourse​ (Americas) 👉 ​Senior Backend Developer at Mimo GmbH​ (EMEA, UK) 👉 ​​​​Backend Engineer at Clerkie​ (USA) 👉 ​iOS Developer at nooro​ (USA) 👉 ​​Senior Sharepoint Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Business Intelligence Engineer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Next.js Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior DevOps Engineer (AWS) at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) Free Guides & Tools​Public Job Board​We curate 2,000 remote jobs so you don't have to! ​Find your remote job →​ ​Exclusive Webinar​3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking For A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead) ​Register for free →​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely ​Check it out → View the full article

The first rule of the Instagram algorithm means understanding that there is no single algorithm. In fact, according to a blog post shared by the Meta-owned platform, “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose,” ensure that IG users see the content that most interests them. “We want to make the most of people’s time, and we believe that using technology to personalize everyone’s experience is the best way to do that,” Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri wrote in the update. Now, a “variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes” may sound a little confusing, but fear not — it’s not quite as intimidating as it sounds. In this article, I’ll break down exactly how the platform ranks content and share tips for increasing your chances of getting your Instagram content in front of more people. In short: Everything you need to know about the Instagram algorithm/s. ⚡Need Instagram help? Buffer helps you grow your following and boost engagement with planning, scheduling, and analytics tools. Get started for free →Different parts of Instagram are ranked by different algorithmsYou’ll find a lot of opinions about how certain types of content are ranked higher on the platform than others. A popular one: “Instagram Reels perform better than feed posts.” While that may be true in some cases (I’ll unpack why down below), statements like that give the impression that new posts and reels are weighed against each other by a single algorithm, and reels are given a leg-up — which is not true. Instead, reels and the feed (and Instagram Stories and Explore) are all controlled by a different algorithm. Why? People’s behavior tends to differ in different areas of the app. “People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories, use Explore to discover new content and creators, and be entertained in reels,” Mosseri explains. With that in mind: here’s how it works. Instagram Feed algorithmWhen people talk about how the Instagram algorithm works, it’s usually this area of the app they’re referring to: it’s the first feed most people will see when they open the app. The Feed is a combination of videos, photos, and carousels (multi-photo posts) posted by anyone you follow, peppered with posts by other accounts Instagram users may be interested in, and sponsored posts tailored to them. Instagram takes a staggering number of ranking factors into account when organizing feeds. “We call these ‘signals,’ and there are thousands of them,” Mosseri says. Here is a breakdown of the most important signals, in order of importance. Activity. Posts the user has liked, shared, saved, or commented on.Information about the post. How popular a post is (how many people have liked it and how quickly people are liking, commenting, sharing, and saving a post) and more information about the content itself (when it was posted, and what location, if any, was attached to it).Information about the person who posted. “This helps us get a sense for how interesting the person might be to [the user], and includes signals like how many times people have interacted with that person in the past few weeks,” Mosseri says.The user’s history of interacting with someone. This is pretty straightforward, and ties in with some of the above points — whether or not the user has engaged with this poster before, and how.With all that information, Instagram makes a series of “educated guesses” about how likely a user is to interact with a post, Mosseri says. “In Feed, the five interactions we look at most closely are how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, share it, and tap on the profile photo. The more likely you are to take an action, and the more heavily we weigh that action, the higher up in Feed you’ll see the post.” 💡It’s pretty common knowledge that Instagram will remove content that goes against its Community Guidelines, but did you know that it also down ranks content that seems “likely” to go against them, even if that hasn’t yet been confirmed? You’ll find more info on that here.Instagram Stories algorithmInstagram Stories — photos and videos that disappear 24 hours after posting — offer creators and businesses a way to appear on top of followers’ feeds as soon as they open the app. As soon as you post a story, your account profile picture will appear right at the top of the app in what IG calls a ‘Stories Tray.’ Arguably, however, it may be even harder for brands to appear in this section of the app, given how IG views this as an area where “people tend to look for their closest friends.” Here are the signals the platform takes into account for the Instagram Stories algorithm to show users the most relevant content: Viewing history. How often a user has viewed an account’s Stories (the more often they view a certain account’s Stories, the more likely they are to appear first).Engagement history. How often a user engages with that account’s stories, such as sending a reaction or a response.Closeness. The user’s relationship with the author overall and how likely they are to be friends or family.Again, these signals will be used to “make a series of predictions about stories you’ll find more relevant and valuable,” Mosseri says, “including how likely you are to tap into a story, reply to a story in DMs or move on to the next story — to determine which stories will be shown higher in your Stories Tray.” Instagram Explore page algorithmThis is where things get interesting for creators and brands users don’t already follow. Explore (accessed by tapping the explore tab magnifying glass at the bottom of the app) was designed to help users find new accounts. If you’re a brand or creator, read: help new audiences find you. This grid-style feed is made up of photos and videos a user is likely to be interested in based on past activity: posts they’ve liked, saved, shared, and commented on. Here are the signals that play into the Instagram Explore page algorithm. Information about the post. Like with Feed, Instagram looks at how popular a post seems to be. “These signals matter much more in Explore than they do in Feed or in Stories,” Mosseri says.A user’s activity in Explore. Posts a user has liked, saved, shared, or commented on and how they’ve interacted with posts in Explore in the past. If users have engaged with a specific post found via Explore previously, the algorithm will show them more like that.A user's interaction history with the poster. It’s likely the post was shared by someone they don’t know, but if a user has interacted with them previously, it tells IG they’re pretty interested in their content.Information about the person who posted. Here IG takes into account how many times people have interacted with you recently across all your content, “to help find compelling content from a wide array of people”.Here’s an example Instagram uses here, which I found really helpful in making sense of all of the above: “Let’s say you’ve recently liked a number of photos from San Francisco’s dumpling chef Cathay Bi (@dumplingclubsf). We then look at who else likes Cathay’s photos, and then what other accounts those people are interested in. Maybe people who like Cathay are also into the SF dim sum spot @dragonbeaux. In that case, the next time you open Explore, we might show you a photo or video from @dragonbeaux.” 💡The Explore page is also where you’ll find Instagram’s search function — which can be an important tool in your Instagram marketing kit. Here’s our comprehensive guide to Instagram SEO.Instagram Reels algorithmThe Instagram Reels algorithm works similarly to the Explore page. The reels feed (accessed by tapping the video icon at the bottom of the app) is designed to help users find new brands and creators. The signals IG takes into account here are: A user’s activity. Things like which reels they’ve liked, saved, reshared, commented on, and engaged with recently.A user's interaction history with the poster. As with Explore, it’s likely the reel was shared by someone they don’t know, but if a user has interacted with them previously, it tells IG they’re pretty interested in their videos.Information about the reel. These are signals about the content within the video such as the audio track or visuals in the video, as well as popularity.Information about the person who posted the reel. “We consider popularity signals such as number of followers or level of engagement to help find compelling content from a wide array of people and give everyone a chance to find their audience,” Mosseri says.On that first point above: let’s come back to Adam Mosseri’s comments on Colin and Samir. The reels feed is a particularly important area if you’re looking to grow your audience — since it’s all recommended content rather than exclusively people you follow. (Buffer has the data to back this up, too – we found that reels tended to get more reach than other content types in this study.) But, of all the engagement activities listed above, shares via DMs are the one that carries the most weight. The more your post is shared in this way, the better it will perform. “Short-form video is so symbiotic with connecting people with their friends,” Adam told Colin and Samir. “Part of our [Instagram’s] reason to be is to connect people with friends.” In other words — optimize your content to start conversations. What entices your Instagram followers to share your reel with someone they care about? Is it something relatable? Helpful? Funny? Thought-provoking? No audiences are the same, and it will take some experimenting to figure out what works. Recommendation Guidelines on Explore and reels Instagram wants to minimize the chances they’ll recommend content to someone that they may find offensive. To that end, they’ve published detailed Recommendation Guidelines. Posts that go against these guidelines may not violate their Community Guidelines and are technically allowed on the platform, but won’t appear on the Explore page. Some examples of things that go against IG’s Recommendation Guidelines are anything that depicts/discusses self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or violence; is sexually explicit or suggestive; promotes the use of certain regulated products, like tobacco; or could be considered misinformation. Why the Instagram algorithms are a good thingRather than sharing Instagram algorithm hacks that don’t help you in the long term, let’s talk about why Instagram’s algorithms are actually great for users, creators, and businesses alike. When social media platforms move away from a chronological feed, there’s always a public outcry. But showing recent posts in chronological order isn’t all that great. The Instagram Creators account reports that since switching to the new feed, “the average post is now seen by 50 percent more followers than it did with the chronological model.” The Instagram algorithm change to a ranked feed is a win-win. With the help of machine learning, the algorithm ensures that users see content they’re most likely to be interested in, and that means business accounts are more likely to find their target audience (with the right social media marketing strategy). As long as you are creating engaging, relevant, and timely content, the Instagram algorithm is actually an advantage to you. It helps to get your great content in front of more people than when posts were arranged reverse-chronologically. Instagram algorithm FAQsSome frequently asked questions about how to work with the Instagram algorithm and things that might affect your content performance: Are photos or videos preferred by Instagram’s algorithms?Technically, no. Instagram doesn’t give extra weight to either videos or photos. However, if the data shows that a certain user prefers to engage with videos over photos, then that specific user may see more video content in their feed. Another big caveat here: while Instagram doesn’t prioritize video by default, Buffer data shows that videos tend to get more engagement on Instagram than other content types. In our analysis of more than 5 million Instagram posts, video came out tops, followed by carousels, then images. Does posting too frequently impact ranking?Instagram accounts aren’t down-ranked for posting content frequently. Though Christina d’Avignon, a product designer for Instagram feed, did tell The Verge: “We do make sure your feed feels diverse so we may break up posts.” Are business and personal accounts treated differently by the algorithm?As reported by TechCrunch: “Instagram doesn’t give extra feed presence to personal accounts or business accounts, so switching won’t help your reach.” Will posting Instagram Stories or Lives videos affect ranking?Creating Instagram Stories or live broadcasting with Instagram won’t affect how your content ranks within the feed, but experimenting with a wide variety of content — as I’ll dig into below — means it's far more likely that your content will appear in more places on the app. 5 ways to make the Instagram algorithms work for youInstead of telling you how to ‘beat’ them, below here’s how to lean into it and use Instagram’s algorithms to your advantage in your social media marketing. 1. Embrace the latest featuresDriving the adoption of new features is important for Instagram, so it makes newer features more prominent in the app. It’s important to note that this does not mean that the Instagram algorithms automatically favor any specific post type. It does, however, give new features a prime location, such as putting Instagram Stories at the very top of the screen or moving the Instagram Reels icon to the center of your menu bar. 2. Vary your post typesUsing a variety of post types — single images, carousel posts, reels, stories, and lives — is key to successfully navigating Instagram algorithms. Sharing your content in different forms helps you reach a wider range of people. Plus, it’s a great way to repurpose your content. Not everyone watches a video, so you can turn your video content into a carousel post. Or you can appeal to Instagram Story lovers by re-sharing feed posts in your Stories. Below you can see how we've been making an effort to diversify the post types we use on Buffer's Instagram account: At Buffer, we’re really leaning into content repurposing not just within Instagram, but across social platforms as well. For example, most of our reels can be used on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, too. Here is how our Social Media Manager, Mitra, does it. 3. Post at the best times for youOur analysis of more than 5 million Instagram posts showed that content shared at certain times tends to perform best. It’s definitely worth testing out these best times to post on Instagram if you’re new to the platform. If you’ve been posting regularly to Instagram for some time, Instagram Insights will have some data on the best times for you. Check out your Instagram Insights (found by navigating to your profile, tapping the hamburger menu on the top right, then ‘Insights’, then ‘Total Followers’) to see your audience’s most active times. ⚡Buffer’s analytics tools take the guesswork of figuring this out by crunching the numbers and recommending specific dates, times, and frequency for your posts. Learn more →4. Create a hashtag strategyBecause users can search for and even follow hashtags, adding them to Instagram captions increases your chances of reaching a wider audience. Plus, studies show that posts with hashtags receive higher engagement than those without. Save time with Buffer Hashtag Manager, which allows you to save groups of hashtags to easily add to posts later with the Instagram first comment feature. With our Hashtag Manager, you can create unique groups of hashtags for themes you use often. For instance, a shoe company like Luna Sneakers might have separate hashtag groups for their running shoes versus their fashion sneakers. Buffer’s Hashtag Manager allows you to create and save groups of hashtags to add to Instagram posts.Branded hashtags — like #lovemylunas and #lunarunning — are a great way to keep your company on people’s minds. Branded hashtags not only help with brand awareness, but they also make it easy for you to find customer-produced content. 4. Focus on authentic engagementInstagram’s algorithms reward engagement. So, instead of wasting energy on Instagram algorithm hacks that only give you short-term results, focus on the connections you build with your audience. Make sure you reply to direct messages and comments on your posts. The more you interact with your fans, the better. But it’s really easy to miss new comments among the likes, follows, and mention notifications on Instagram. Don’t be afraid to use emojis, either! To help, Buffer has engagement features that surface any unanswered comments on your Instagram posts and help you to reply to as many comments as quickly as possible. Another simple way to encourage engagement is to use interactive stickers, such as polls, questions, and sliding scale rankings, on your Instagram Stories. And don’t forget about user-generated content. People love seeing their own photos or videos shared on brand pages. Snack company Pipcorn lets customers sing their praises by re-sharing customer content in their Instagram Stories. 5. Use analytics to see what's workingOne of the best ways to understand what your audience enjoys seeing and is interested in is to dig into your Instagram analytics data. Using Instagram Insights you can check out which of your posts have had the most interactions. You can also sort posts by most comments, likes and saves too if you'd like to dig into more specific engagement metrics. Buffer's analytics will also help you uncover your best posts (those with the highest engagement) in just a few clicks: Recent Instagram posts sorted by Engagement Rate in Buffer Once you have a list of your most engaging Instagram posts you can start to identify what commonalities they might have. For example: What types of posts are they?What's the style of the creative?How is the caption structured?With this data, you can begin to reverse engineer what your audience is most likely to engage with and build a strategy to help get the most out of Instagram's algorithm. Instagram’s algorithms prioritize providing the best experienceIf you focus on building connections with your audience and producing engaging content, you don’t need to worry about Instagram updates and Instagram algorithm changes. “Authenticity and transparency are key to building sustainable engagement on Instagram,” says the Instagram Creators account. “Trying to game the system may provide a short-term benefit, but it is not a recipe for success long-term. Make sure that you are creating content that is keeping your followers and community engaged and constantly coming back for more! View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I have warned an intern about a bad manager? I am a middle manager in a large organization and I am second-guessing how I handled a situation with an employee whom I used to supervise. From 2020 to 2021, I had the pleasure of supervising an outstanding intern, Anna. Anna was the kind of employee that any employer would be lucky to have. During her internship, Anna expressed interest in staying on with us after her graduation. It can be difficult to secure full-time permanent employment with our organization, and the hiring process is lengthy and onerous for managers and candidates alike. However, there is a “shortcut” for qualified former interns to transition to a permanent position upon graduation. Anna was eventually offered such a position by one of my peers, and she asked my advice on whether she should accept the offer. My dilemma: The hiring manager was known to have terrible people management skills (not at the level of abuse or harassment, but that’s a pretty low bar). However, I chose not to share this with Anna. I didn’t want to “poison the well” or unduly influence her, and thought she was mature enough to make her own decision. I also thought that a well-paid permanent position with great benefits isn’t something that comes along every day for new grads, and the internal mobility opportunities would mean that even if this particular job wasn’t a good fit, Anna wouldn’t be stuck there for long. So, I took more of a coaching role in our conversation rather than an advice-giving one (though I did suggest she speak with current employees on the team). In the end, Anna accepted the manager’s offer. Anna’s team has ended up being just as, if not more, toxic as I had feared and Anna’s mental health has taken a beating. Anna eventually found other opportunities within the organization but I feel terrible that I didn’t warn her to run far away from the bad manager in the first place. What, if anything, could I have done differently? I’m a fan of letting people know when a lot of other people have found a manager tough to work with. You don’t need to come out and say “she’s a nightmare” if you don’t feel comfortable being that candid, but you can say, “I do want to warn you some people have found her to be a difficult boss. I don’t have firsthand experience, but I’d definitely suggest talking to people who have worked for her and asking about their experiences so that you’re not going in blind.” If you know specifics — or specific themes — ideally you’d find a way to share those. “Well-paid positions with great benefits don’t come along every day and she wouldn’t be stuck there for long” is a legitimate thing for Anna to decide, but it shouldn’t be something you decide on her behalf. 2. Former colleague is running a scam My partner, Chris, has recently gotten an advanced degree in a newer and very niche field which has documented ROI for businesses, but tends to get cut as non-essential when businesses are doing their yearly budgeting. Since it’s so niche, Chris has worked collaboratively with many people in the industry in our country (non-U.S.). Since it’s a growing industry, he’s also been tapped to teach, including for the university where he got his masters. The problem is that last year one of his colleagues, Hank, ran a master’s program at the local university and asked Chris to teach a course, throughout which Chris came to understand the program almost didn’t happen due to enrollment being too low to justify the cost. Hank also has a small consulting business for this field. About 50% of the students in the course (all the most recent enrollees) were brand new employees of Hank’s business. Turns out, Hank had employed these new consultants on the condition that they enroll in the year-long master’s program. Chris has been made aware from one of his former students that none of Hank’s employees have earned enough as consultants to recoup their tuition fees in the year since they graduated, and most of these employees have returned to their former industries. And still, Hank is asking Chris to teach another course for the same program as he has a fresh new crop of bright-eyed consultants to pay the high tuition fees. Chris has turned down the opportunity, citing low bandwidth, but I think he has a greater responsibility to communicate with his contacts higher up in this small university to make them aware of the ethical issue at hand. Chris is more concerned this will hurt him in the long run if Hank finds out he went above his head. How do you think he should handle this situation? Yes, Chris has a moral and ethical responsibility to tell his contacts there what’s going on. Hank is exploiting his employees to pressure them to enroll in the program that justifies his job; it’s an abuse of power, and it’s something that the university wouldn’t want to be associated with if they knew. You should encourage Chris to think through exactly how this could hurt him if Hank finds out about it. If his fears are warranted, he can ask his contacts to investigate without naming him as the person who provided the initial tip-off. 3. Can I befriend my future coworker’s daughter? I moved cities six months ago and am working on transferring to the site closer to home. In preparation for my new role, I’ve been meeting with people I will be working with, to start establishing my new working relationships. Recently I met with “Beth,” who I will be working with closely. Beth seems friendly and competent and we hit it off well. I’m excited to work with her! After our initial meeting, we did some small talk and she told me a bit about her daughter. It sounds like her daughter is around my age and we have some common interests. Also, her daughter’s job is close to where I live and she is considering moving to my suburb. Can I try to befriend the daughter somehow? Would it be weird or inappropriate to try? Do I need to wait until I’ve been at the new site for a while and have more of a relationship with Beth? Can I just ask for a number or is there a more roundabout way to approach it? You don’t have a lot to go on here, so I think it would be too much to come out with, “I’d like to have lunch with Jane. Can you connect us?” But you could certainly say, “If Jane is looking for people to talk with about llama grooming (or whatever the mutual interest is), feel free to give her my contact info. I’m still pretty new to the area and would love to meet people who are into llama combing techniques!” Then Beth can decide, based on her knowledge of her daughter (and potentially her feelings about meshing work and family worlds in that way), whether to connect you. 4. Network separately or stick together at conferences? I recently attended a conference with a majority of my colleagues on a topic marginally applicable to my position (and theirs). I was going to sit with a coworker, but someone I met on the field tour the day before asked me to sit with him and I moved tables. We had good discussions on his projects, and I met four folks I had not met previously. My question has to do with perception or best practice. The other 16 coworkers stayed in “our” group and sat together, but did mingle during the breaks and the after-hours event. I always think it is better to spread out and meet someone new and learn about how the subject impacts them, so I generally will sit with new people at conferences. My boss said someone asked if I was mad at my colleagues since I didn’t sit with them. Personally, I think my colleagues looked less approachable since they were together. Not everyone is comfortable sitting with strangers (and I am exhausted at the end of my day), so I understand. Professionally, which should happen? What should I do at the next conference (in three months)? It’s really up to each individual attendee, but a big part of the benefit of conferences is networking so your approach is generally the more useful one. It’s a little odd that your colleagues interpreted that as you being “mad at them,” but if traditionally they’ve all stuck together at conferences, they may see it more as team bonding time than networking time. Maybe before the next one you can mention to them that you see conferences as an opportunity to meet new people in your field, which has been useful in X and Y ways, and so you try to break off from the group and talk to other attendees. 5. Who owns a work journal? I know that work products created in the course of most regular employment belong to the organization — but what about materials that have to do with work but are entirely individual? I’m thinking of notes or reflections on one’s own performance, written in a paper notebook bought with personal funds but on the subject of work, e.g. self-determined goals, how to improve job performance or satisfaction, and so on. Stuff that feels really personal (like, wouldn’t pass it on to my hypothetical successor, wouldn’t want it to be read by colleagues or boss without redaction) but is created during the work day, related to work experiences but not work products. Basically, I feel that my work output and experience could both be improved through more reflection and intentional goal- and priority-setting on a more granular level than I get from my boss, but I would be afraid of what I write getting into the wrong hands (though it’s unlikely, as I’d keep my notebook in my bag and we don’t have a snoopy office). But bringing a personal journal to work sounds like a terrible idea! And I would want to keep a record, not write on TP and burn it immediately after. I feel on a basic moral/logical level that everyone is entitled to an inner world and room for errors, honest unpolished reflection, and at least a tiny bit of privacy, but I don’t think that’s totally true in reality. In practice, I don’t think it’s super likely that my notebook would be intercepted (one reason to stick to paper), but I’m still curious. Technically under the law, your employer could argue that it belonged to them — because products relating to your work created at work belong to your employer. But in practice, they’d be very unlikely try; it’s not the sort of thing most managers would have any interest in laying claim to. The worst scenario would be more likely to be someone misunderstanding what was in the notebook, thinking you had notes on clients or projects that someone else could benefit from, and insisting you turn it over when leaving. But you could easily avoid that by taking it home with you before you quit. Other than that, as long as you kept it in your bag, it’s very unlikely to be claimed by your company. View the full article

The Bbox WiFi 7 is a tri-band 'native XGS-PON' device delivering up to 7 Gbps of symmetric data rate. The post Bouygues Telecom becomes fifth major European telco to introduce a Wi-Fi 7 gateway & service appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

The Bbox WiFi 7 is a tri-band 'native XGS-PON' device delivering up to 7 Gbps of symmetric data rate. The post Bouygues Telecom becomes fifth major European telco to introduce a Wi-Fi 7 gateway & service appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Machu Picchu is one of those bucket-list activities people dream about. While most people visit on a day trip, you can also visit via the Inca Trail, a challenging multi-day hike through the jungles of Peru. In this guest post, my friend Gillian divulges the details of her trek while sharing some tips and suggestions to help you plan your trip to Machu Picchu. Hiking to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail in Peru remains the highlight of my year traveling. Looking out over the peaks of the Andes, and knowing that I hiked to get there filled me with joy and awe. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I won’t lie, though — it took some work. A lot of work, in fact. But it was totally worth it. Sitting some 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level, Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel built in the 15th century. The citadel was built as a royal estate, though it was used for less than 100 years before being abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish, who were set on conquest. It wasn’t until 1911 that the ruins were re-discovered by archeologist Hiram Bingham III. While the locals were familiar with the ruins, it wasn’t until Hiram trekked up the mountain for himself that he realized just how spectacular his (re)discovery was. To slow the damage caused by tourism, the entrance of Machu Picchu is “limited” to 4,500 people per day heading into 2024, divided into 3 time slots of early morning tickets (6-8am), morning tickets (9-11am), and afternoon tickets (12-2pm). While that seems like a lot, tickets often sell out months in advance (especially for the hike). There are now 4 main different circuits, and you must be accompanied by a guide. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead, do your research, and book early! Hiking the Inca Trail: Itinerary To start things off, here is a detailed overview of what the actual hike is actually like: Day 1 They broke us in easy on the first day with a gentle start along a wide path that passed through the Sacred Valley. Described as “Inca Flat,” the trail starts alongside the Urubamba River and meanders through the trees and scrub brush, slowly gaining altitude. Our guide, Marco, stopped us at various points along the way to tell us the history of the trail, the ruins along the trail, and also the Incan people and their struggle to survive. Marco was passionate about his ancestors’ story, and as time went on, we realized that he was not just telling us stories that come from guidebooks but that his knowledge was much deeper. He had spent time at university studying and also in the mountains with the Incan descendants and so had a unique perspective on the area. Day 2 We woke up at 5am to the sounds of hustle and bustle outside. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, a porter appeared with hot tea and another brought a bowl of hot water and soap for me to wash up with. I drank my tea, washed up, and packed up the few things I was responsible for (the porters dismantle and carry everything except your personal belongings). It was cold as we set out on the day’s hike; frost clung to the sides of the trail and I could see my breath with every labored exhalation. We were already feeling the altitude and still had more than a thousand meters ahead of us. We quickly climbed above the tree line and were rewarded with the stunning views of mountains and valleys that would be our companions for the rest of the day. The climb to Dead Woman’s Pass was relentless. Up and up and up and up along the ancient Inca pathway made up of enormous stone steps. My heart was beating wildly, my lungs were tight and seemed too small for the task, and my legs felt like cement as I tried to lift them over and over again up onto the next step. Then it was down the other side, a 600-meter (almost 2,000-foot) drop along a beautiful stone pathway cutting down into the valley below. If I thought this was going to be the easy part, I was wrong. Controlling those floppy, leaden legs was an exercise in concentration. The afternoon saw us climb another 400 meters (1,300 feet) before dropping into another valley that was more jungle than scrub. We crossed the valley to find our campsite overlooking a set of astrological ruins. Fog set in just as the light faded, lending an eerie feel to the landscape but also providing some insulating warmth. After 16 kilometers (10 miles) of hiking through two passes, it didn’t take much of the special “rum tea” to send us all off to a restful night’s sleep. Day 3 As much as Day 2 was about climbing, Day 3 was about descent — overall we dropped almost 800 meters (2624 feet). I’m not sure which is more difficult, but I know that my legs were sorer after a day of going down than they were after Day 2. This is where the walking stick I had been carrying all along really proved its worth! We dropped back down through the tree line, entering into jungle-like scenery, where we could start to understand how Machu Picchu was hidden by jungle for so many years. We shared camp that night as other groups joined up at the campsite before entering the site. We enjoyed much-needed showers and beer before a late dinner and early bedtime. Tomorrow would take us to the Sun Gate and our first glimpses of the lost city. Day 4 Reaching the Sun Gate was amazing. Looking through it to the sight of Machu Picchu below made all the difficulties of the trek disappear. Sitting on a plateau below, the site looked just as beautiful and mysterious as I had expected. Wandering around Machu Picchu for the rest of the day, I was left in awe as to how the ancient Incans could have built such a formidable city with no modern machinery. The ingenuity and precision were astounding and the level of detail was amazing. The buildings and stonework are stunning displays of form, function, and astounding astronomical and geographic knowledge. Stones are placed or carved, to match exactly with the sun’s winter and summer solstice positions or to line up along the ordinal geographic lines. Seeing a rock carved into the shape of the Incan Cross and then being shown how the points match up with a compass, I was amazed at the knowledge that the Incans must have had. The whole city and the mountain backdrop took my breath away. Planning a trip to South America? Get all my best travel tips along with these guides: My Favorite Companies to Use61 Savvy Travel Tips16 Steps for Planning a TripHow to Get Free Flights Just fill in your details below and I'll send everything to you right now: Add me Tips for Hiking the Inca Trail Here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip and avoid some of the more common pitfalls: Arrive early – Try to get to Cusco 3-5 days before your hike so you can acclimatize to the altitude before hiking. It will make your hike much easier! Leave your hiking stick behind – Hiking poles or sticks are no longer allowed in Machu Picchu, except for elderly or disabled visitors. Chew coca leaves – If the altitude is giving you trouble, chew coca leaves. It’s the local remedy and is what many of the guides and porters use. You can chew the leaves or buy coca gum. (You can also get altitude medicine from your doctor before you go. Just keep in mind that it will make you have to pee a lot!). Break in your boots – Make sure you buy and break in your footwear at least 1-2 months before your trip. That will help you avoid blisters. Bring sunscreen and bug spray – The last thing you want is a sunburn when you’re hiking up a mountain. And the mosquitoes here are plentiful (and their bites are super itchy!) so prepare accordingly and apply both each day. Bring Band-Aids/Blister kits – Your feet are going to take a beating. Having some minor first aid supplies will help. Carry extra snacks – You’ll get plenty of food on the trail, but bringing along some of your favorite snacks is a great morale booster for those challenging sections. Go the extra mile – For an amazing view of Machu Picchu, hike the extra hour to Huayna Picchu. It’s a bit of a scramble and the path is quite narrow but the views are worth it! Train before you go – This is a challenging hike. You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to finish it but the more you train the easier your hike will be. Don’t expect to shower – Showers are available partway into the hike but the water is painfully cold. Skip the showers and just embrace your well-earned BO. Have extra batteries – Bring an external charger for your phone and extra batteries for your camera. It would be tragic to arrive at Machu Picchu and not be able to snap a photo or two! Bring earplugs – The Inca Trail can get busy and there will be dozens and dozens of hikers at each camp. Bring earplugs for the noisy nights. Consider the Salkantay – For a less-busy route, consider hiking the Salkantay. It has views just as epic and sees a third of the tourists that the Inca Trail does. Plus, it’s a fraction of the price! Bring money for the bathroom – Make sure you have some money for the bathroom. There is only one bathroom at Machu Picchu and it will cost a couple of soles. Get stamped – You can get your passport stamped with a unique Machu Picchu stamp to commemorate the journey. It makes for a fun souvenir if you have some space in your passport. Check your bag – You can only bring a day bag under 20L into Machu Picchu. If your bag is larger than that you’ll need to pay to check it at the gate. How to Get to Machu Picchu: Prices, Tours, and Logistics If you don’t plan on hiking the Inca Trail, the easiest way to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu is to take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Tickets range from 225–1,800 PEN depending on how luxurious of a ride you want. The Expedition (which is the cheapest option) is perfectly fine. You go on the same tracks and see the same sights. You just have to buy your own drinks or snacks. Tickets can be booked at Peru Rail. The government has been making an effort to better conserve the site, introducing three circuits to spread out the influx of visitors. That means you’ll have to follow a certain route during your visit and you will have a timed entry. In order to visit the site, you need to book tickets in advance and be with a licensed guide. (Though in practice sometimes they let you in without a guide but since there is absolutely no signage, it’s better to have a guide so you can learn about what you are seeing.) In order to hike the Inca Trail, you MUST go with a licensed guide and the company you are with will arrange the permits you need for the trail as well as to visit the ruins. Make sure the company you choose pays their porters well and treats them fairly. Porters have an incredibly challenging job so you want to make sure the company you choose is an ethical one. With that in mind, remember you’ll also need some cash to tip your porters. Most estimates range from 25 PEN per person per day for each porter, and then 50 PEN per person per day for the guides, though your company will likely provide additional tipping guidelines. Tips are paid in the local currency. Prices for the multi-day treks start at $700 USD. If you want to find a cheaper tour, head to Cusco and wait for a last-minute spot to open. People cancel for various reasons and there’s usually a spot that opens up. You may have to wait a few days but you’ll get a spot much cheaper than if you pre-book your tour. Since permits sell out months in advance, if you are on a strict timetable, I’d advise pre-booking your tour. *** While hiking the Inca Trail is no easy feat, it is definitely worth the effort. The well-earned views you take in as you hike combined with the incredible vistas and history of Machu Picchu itself make this a once in a lifetime experience worthy of any bucket list. No visit to Peru is complete without seeing Machu Picchu, and the best way to do that is via the Inca Trail — one step at a time! Plan your trip to South America Get all my best travel tips as well as FREE planning guides sent straight to you and see more of the region for less! Send me free travel tips Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. If you’re looking for hostels in nearby Cusco, here is a list of my favorites. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (best for everyone) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too. Want More Information on Peru? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips! The post How to Hike the Inca Trail appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article

Seven areas of focus for every firm. By Susan Bryant The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Seven areas of focus for every firm. By Susan Bryant The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management Go PRO for members-only access to more Rory Henry. View the full article

Peru is one of the most popular destinations in South America, owing to the fact that it’s home to the bucket-list favorite and Wonder of the World Machu Picchu. Around 500,000 people visit the ancient Incan citadel each year — a number that would be much higher if it wasn’t for the mandates put in place to prevent overcrowding. But there’s more to Peru than just Machu Picchu. And there’s more to the Andes than the Inca Trail. Peru is very geographically and culturally diverse (it’s the third-largest country on the continent) so there’s a lot more on offer here than most travelers expect. From the great dining destination of Lima to the floating islands off the Uros to the Peruvian Amazon to the pyramids and tombs of Batán Grande to the desert oasis of Huacachina, there is so much to see in this South American nation that limiting yourself to the Sacred Valley would be a missed opportunity. For the intrepid traveler with plenty of time, many of these destinations can be explored solo. However, getting around Peru can be challenging and budget travelers with limited time should consider opting for an organized tour. And there are plenty of reputable and affordable tour companies in Peru that can make your journey smoother, allowing you to focus your attention and energy on the sites, people, culture, and history of the place. To help you save money and make the most of your time, I’ve put together a list of the best tour companies in Peru. From walking tours to multi-day excursions to adventure-laden guided tours, these tours might not be as cheap as traveling solo but they will absorb the headaches that often come with traveling in a foreign country (especially one as large and slow to navigate as Peru). Here are the best tour companies in Peru: 1. Intrepid Travel Intrepid runs tours in every corner of the planet and they’re always a solid choice thanks to their focus on sustainability and responsible travel. I’ve been on a few of their tours over the years and they never disappoint. And while Intrepid offers tours of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, they also emphasize the other parts of this beautiful country too. Their Classic Peru tour ($2,057 USD), for example, spans 9 days and circles the country, covering many of the major highlights, including Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Lake Titicaca. Intrepid is one of my go-to companies for multiday tours. Whenever I book a multi-day trip I go with them. You should to. I can’t recommend them enough! Book Intrepid Travel here! 2. Alpaca Expeditions This Cusco-based company is owned and operated by local Peruvians. Calling themselves the “Green Machine,” Alpaca Expeditions is committed to being a totally sustainable tour company. The trekking tours are heavy on Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail—because Alpaca is highly rated for them—but they also offer “alternative tours” to some off-the-radar places like trekking the Salkantay. You can spend five days there, hiking around the Humantay Blue Lagoon, for example, or if you don’t want the commitment, they even offer a one-day hike. There are also trekking tours to the seven lakes of Ausangate, and other spots around the Sacred Valley. Their classic four-day Inca Trail hike is $795 USD per person while their five-day Choquequirao trek is $700 USD. Book Alpaca Expeditions here! 3. Choquequirao Trek The Lost Incan City of Choquequirao can be reached via a two-day trek from Cusco. And this local tour company specializes in hiking to the ruins of the 15th-century city that is a great alternative to the highly trafficked Machu Picchu site (less than 10,000 people visit each year, compared to the 2,500 people who visit Machu Picchu each day). You can do the classic four-day trek to Choquequirao for $520 USD or you can mix things up and do a longer eight-day hike that goes from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu for $1,250 USD, or you can combine it with a jaunt on the Incan Trail. There are tons of affordable options! Book Choquequirao Trek here! 4. Colca Tours Based in the city of Arequipa, Colca Tours specializes in trekking and bus tours to Colca Canyon, a deep and dramatic ravine that is dotted with ancient villages. One of the deepest canyons in the world, it’s home to the Andean condor and boasts incredible (and challenging) trekking and views. In addition to hiking tours, they also run bike and horse tours. Most of the tours last one to four days and some tours include more adventurous elements such as rafting and rock climbing. Their standard four-day hike is just $150 USD. Book Colca Tours here! 5. Amazonas Explorer Amazonas Explorer is a private tour company that operates in the Sacred Valley as well as in the Amazon. They arrange private group tours and will not only take you to Machu Picchu but to a lot of off the beaten path treks around the region. They also do non-trek activities like ebikes and white water rafting. Their guides are really good, speak fluent English, and are so knowledgeable you feel like you’re learning from a professor. (They were featured in the book Turn Right at Machu Picchu.) They are a great option if you want to do something on your own, get more off the beaten path, or are a big group of people who want a tour tailored to your own needs. Book Amazonas Explorer here! *** Peru is such a geographically and culturally diverse place, it would take a lot of time, energy, and money to see it all on one trip — especially if you plan on hiking. If you’re short on time, consider a tour for some or all of your trip. After all, money returns; time does not. Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: Safety Wing (best for everyone) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage) Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too. Want More Information on Peru? Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips! The post The 5 Best Tour Companies in Peru appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. View the full article