What is a Personal Statement and How Can You Write a Good Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a vital document required by most Universities abroad during your admission application process. A personal statement (also known as Statement of Purpose (SOP) or Letter of Intent) is simply an essay that describes your intent and purpose for wanting to study a particular program and at a particular University. It shares your story with the admission committee and explains why you are the ideal candidate for admission into that program.

But as simple as this essay might appear to be, a lot of work goes into crafting a personal statement that stands out and impresses the admission committee. There are several things you must know and consider when writing a personal statement. This article covers all of these and more.

Writing a Good Personal Statement: Questions You Must Answer

Before getting started with writing a personal statement, there are several questions you must answer. What program do you want to study, and why do you want to study the program?  Do you have relevant skills or experience in that field or course? And if so, how do you plan to utilize it to contribute to your program’s success and immediate community?

All these are important information and a bedrock of what your personal statement would entail. But writing a good personal statement goes beyond just penning down answers to these questions; there are several things you must also keep in mind.

How Do You Write a Good Personal Statement?

First, you must ensure you read the instructions on the University’s (and program’s) website. Most schools have requirements regarding personal statements. For example, some schools demand that your personal statement essay shouldn’t exceed a word count of 500 words, whereas other institutions might allow a word count of about 1000 words.

After reading these instructions, write your personal statement by following these tips.

1. Ensure your personal statement is clear and concise

Many applicants make the mistake of stuffing the personal statement essay with inconsequential information, making it very boring and challenging for the admission committee to understand. You want to write your personal statement such that it explicitly states your story and passion. Read every sentence in your essay to determine if it is absolutely necessary and useful to the readers.

Also, ensure your introduction is catchy, as this is what sets the tone for the admission committee reading your essay. For example, you could start the essay with a story, quote, research work, or achievement that sparked your interest in the particular program you intend to study.

2. Show evidence of relevant experience, interests, and goals

The admission committee wants to know a little about your background, motivation, leadership and influence, relevant skills, and competencies. As such, you must craft your essay such that it shows all of these and more. You want to show the admission committee how the program or institution will help to achieve your future goal and plans.

If you have already published a research article in that field, you also want to include it in your personal statement. Not to worry if you don’t have any publications yet. You can mention the possible areas and topics you are looking to explore.

3. Use appropriate language and avoid grammatical errors

Ensure that you communicate using the vocabulary relevant to your field and avoid complicating matters. You should demonstrate that you have a good command of the English language by avoiding slang/informal words, using vocabulary appropriate to your field, and adopting a logical structure. Also, you want to make sure your essay is free from spelling and grammatical errors. We always recommend using spell-check tools like Grammarly for proofreading your personal statement and CV. You could also have writing experts look at your essay to help identify spelling and grammatical errors.

(Related Post: Are You Making These 4 Mistakes When Writing Your CV)

 

BTDT Hub can help you write an outstanding Personal Statement

A good personal statement must tell the admission committee who you are, your relevant experiences, interests, and why you are an ideal candidate for admission. While this article presents helpful information to help you craft a good personal statement, we understand that you may not have the time and competency to do it yourself.

At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified academic advisors capable of reviewing and crafting your personal statement to increase your chances of gaining admission in desired schools. We have reviewed over 5,000 personal statements for students in a broad range of fields, and have recorded a success rate of 90%.

Visit our Study Abroad page to learn more about our personal statement writing services. To get started, send an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM today.

 

Are You Making These 4 Mistakes When Writing Your CV?

If you are looking to get an entry-level position in a particular company, you would have to create (and submit) a curriculum vitae (CV). Your CV is simply a detailed summary of your educational background, qualifications, previous jobs, and sometimes your personal interest. As simple as this document might appear to be, a lot of work goes into crafting an excellent CV that stands out and increases your chances of getting invited for an interview. There are several things you need to keep in mind and a ton of mistakes you must avoid when crafting a CV. In this article, we discuss four common mistakes to avoid when writing your CV. 

Mistake #1: Not Tailoring your CV to the Job

Mistake #2: Spelling and Grammatical Errors

Mistake #3: Placing Responsibilities Over Achievement

Mistake #4: Poor CV Format

 

Mistake #1: Not Tailoring your CV to the Job

“You cannot use the same CV used in applying for a Procurement role to apply for Marketing or a Lecturing role,” – Dr. Dipo Awojide, in a recent tweet.

A CV is not a one-size-fits-all document. It should not contain everything or every activity you have been involved in. Instead, you want to craft a CV that outlines the relevant skills and experience needed for the job you are applying for. Many recruiters and hiring managers now use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) — a software that scans and ranks all of the applications and CVs — to vet applicants. If your CV doesn’t pass the ATS test, you can be sure that it will be discarded before human eyes even see it. For someone looking to apply for several job positions, it can be overwhelming to create a new CV from scratch for every job posting. 

Not to worry.  “You can have four versions of the same CV. The trick is to change the keywords to suit the specific role you’re applying for,” says Dr. Awojide.

 

Mistake #2: Spelling and Grammatical Errors

Another common mistake made by job applicants includes having tons of spelling and grammatical errors in the CV or other application documents. No matter how properly formatted your CV is, spelling mistakes can mar your chances of landing that interview invite. One way to check for spelling and grammatical errors is to proofread your CV, using tools like Grammarly and Microsoft Office Spell Check, which offers you specific suggestions to improve your writing. 

However, a challenge with using these spell-check tools is that they are unable to detect misuse of incorrect words. For example, the use of “diary” in place of “dairy” might go unnoticed. Hence, it is always a good idea to review your CV and have a CV writing expert take a look at your CV to spot all these errors.

Mistake #3: Placing Responsibilities Over Achievement 

A perfect CV should not just highlight what you did, it should also show how well you performed your duties and the results you achieved. At BTDT Hub, we always recommend that you follow what we call the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula. 

For example, instead of writing “Responsible for implementing email marketing strategies,” you should write something along the lines of “Spearheaded a comprehensive marketing strategy for a new line of products.” 

Keep in mind that we do not encourage you to lie or exaggerate your duties, responsibilities, and achievements. Instead, we want you to take the time to assess each of the activities you performed and quantify your achievements with numbers. If it is impossible to quantify your achievements, you should include how your activities helped the organization or client you worked for.

Mistake #4: Poor CV Format

One thing to always keep in mind when writing a CV is that there are over 100 applicants trying to get the same job you are applying for. As such, the hiring manager (or employer) typically skims through each CV for a few seconds before deciding whether to read it or proceed to the next applicant. One of the factors that influence their decision is the CV format. Many applicants make the mistake of following (or using) the conventional chronological CV format available online.

Don’t get it twisted. There is nothing wrong with the conventional CV formats available online. But they are not just suitable for all kinds of job postings. For example, the CV for a Software Engineering role should better showcase your core competencies, skills, projects, and work experience rather than your educational background. Likewise, an academic CV for a Research role should better showcase your research experiences, educational background, and research skills.

Ready to craft a Winning CV, we can help you

While this article presents information to help you craft a winning CV, we understand that you may not have the time and competency to do it yourself. At BTDT Hub, we have a team of highly qualified CV Advisors and Human Resource Professionals capable of reviewing and crafting your CV to increase your interview chances. We have reviewed over 20,000 CVs and resumes for professionals across a broad range of industries and several of these professionals have landed their dream jobs. 

Visit Personal Branding to learn more about our CV writing service. To get started, send an email to INFO@BTDTHUB.COM. 

You are a Brand

 

How do people perceive you online and offline? Do they connect you with the values you represent? Personal branding is the deliberate decision to create a popular perception about oneself, promoting your uniqueness, and building a reputation.  It is about seeing yourself as a marketable product, whether online or offline and consciously choosing how people connect with you and your values.

Importance of Personal Branding

If you do not brand yourself, others will do it for you.  Your personal brand defines who you are, showcases your knowledge, and depicts what you represent.  You are a brand, whether you know it or not, so it is best to be in charge of your brand identity by creating a compelling brand story that will establish the kind of perception you want. 

Personal branding helps you stand out from everybody else and your brand attracts people of your kind.  It also helps you build trust with people that matter and connects you with people who share similar thoughts and values.  Indeed, a good personal brand can help you build blocks that will lead to success and open doors to great opportunities for advancement in your career. 

Consequently, building a personal brand broadens your employability opportunities, as it sets you apart from other candidates and highlights your value.  It also helps build your status as a thought leader in your industry, as people will come to you for industry insights and knowledge, thus ensuring increased visibility online and offline.

Tips for Developing Your Personal Brand

Here are 3 tips for building your personal brand:

  • Carve your niche

To develop a brand identity that is in line with who you are, you have to understand who you are and consciously build an identity that resonates with your knowledge, not one solely based on profitability. 

Identify your core skills and interests, and focus on being the best in the selected field.  It is not a practical approach to be an expert in all fields, hence defining a niche makes it easier to focus on being the best in a smaller field.

  • Identify your target audience

“What’s the use of a great voice if only the bathroom walls hear you sing?”

After carving your niche, ensure to identify the community you want to engage with.  Your target audience is generally made up of:

  • People interested in what you know and represent
  • People willing to pay you for what you know and represent
  • People available to influence those who will pay you for what you know and represent

Always remember that your brand cannot be appealing to everyone.  Therefore, for your intended audience to give regard to what you are offering, you need to engage with your audience and design relatable content.

  • Be active on social media

Personal branding extends to offline reputation, but having a social media presence ensures that you are always visible and at the forefront of your networks’ feeds.  Hence, ensuring effective and efficient use of social media platforms will help you promote your brand and increase your reach.

On a platform like LinkedIn, which is swarmed with potential candidates and active recruiters, maintaining a good and consistent personal brand can connect you with recruiters and other available opportunities in desired fields.  

 

Written by Damilola Adebowale

BTDT Intern (Obafemi Awolowo University)

BTDT Insights is an initiative of BTDT Hub, a leading human capital development company focusing on careers advisory, recruitment services, corporate training, and employability services.

DISCLAIMER:  This article only provides general information and insights on the subject matter.  It does not by itself create a client/consultant relationship between readers and BTDT Hub.

We are available to provide expert career/business advice and services on specific circumstances via INFO@BTDTHUB.COM 

EDITORIAL TEAM

  • Oluwatayo Dada (Chief Operating Officer)
  • Odunola Oyeyipo (Product Manager)

A Note to Job Seekers

 

Being a job seeker could be frustrating, especially when you’ve been at it for quite a while.  All you wish for is one opportunity – just one employer to give you a chance to prove your worth.

The job-seeking phase is inevitable for a large number of recent graduates and young professionals.  However, implementing necessary techniques and tips may ease the burden and uncertainty attached to this phase. 

Here are 4 tips to help enhance your employability.

  • Get good grades 

This tip is applicable to students currently enrolled in tertiary institutions and with feasible chances of striving for higher and better grades.  Achieving a good grade is not the sole requirement for attaining success, but possessing such grades can serve as a great boost in a variety of educational and extracurricular activities.  

Do not join the league of people who assert that ‘school is a scam’.  Education paves the way and you can strive to be the best in your desired field.  

  • Invest in your personal development 

“Grades will open doors for you but you have to fight to sit at the table.  Fighting means acquiring hard skills as well as soft skills to prove your worth” – Tobiloba Aminu (LinkedIn comment).  

Getting a good grade is not the magic wand for getting a good job.  You need to enhance your employability skills by taking courses or training to improve your skills and demonstrate your initiative and organizational skills to employers.  

Taking an online short course or a professional course is a great way to improve your employability skills.  There are a wide range of free and paid courses to help improve your technical knowledge and develop core soft skills.  There are also case studies and online resources to help actively practice problem-solving skills, effective communication, teamwork, and other soft skills necessary within and outside the workplace. 

It is worthy to note that understudying mentors can also help improve your learning and employability.  To be prepared for the world of work, it is necessary to research active and key players in the industry, read interviews, articles, and other published works, and deduce lessons and tips, as may be relevant to your workplace or career path.

  • Pay attention to your CV 

An average recruiter or employer spends less than 5 seconds on each CV at a first glance and only CVs that catch their attention would be given ‘more seconds’.  The goal of every applicant is to give your CV the chance to be looked at more than once. 

Spend extra time reviewing your CV and ensure that it adequately sells your skills.  Does it contain unnecessary or inaccurate information? Is it formatted correctly? Does it showcase your core skills and experience?  Does it include transferable skills garnered from internship or volunteer experiences?  Does your CV demonstrates criteria or skills required by the job description?  Does it contain errors or typos?  

A well-crafted CV can give your application fair leverage, thus improving the chances of receiving an interview invite or favorable response.

  • Engage in active networking

Networking involves engaging with people from different fields and diverse industries, whether offline or online.  Therefore, building a strong base of professional networks can help develop your career in the right direction.  You can also interact with experts from different industries, who can help provide valuable inputs with their varied knowledge and skills.  LinkedIn is highly recommended for professional networking, both at national and international levels.

Networking is important for everyone who wants to grow.  The trick to getting the best out of networking is to intentionally cultivate the habit of networking, rather than trying to hunt down opportunities.  Therefore, it is important to always develop online and offline networking skills early and not only when searching for jobs or opportunities.

Remember that you require a strategy for an effective job search and there is more to a job search than simply applying for online postings.  A good number of job search techniques include utilizing your network and targeting specific opportunities in selected industries.

On a final note, there are chances that you will be turned down for a role and you need to deal with the rejection positively, though this is never a fun experience.  Do not regard the rejection mail as a negative statement about you.  Instead, focus on improving your strengths and this will provide the renewed energy and momentum you need to find the job that is right for you.

 

Written by Moyinoluwa Laniyan

BTDT Intern (Federal University Oye-Ekiti )

BTDT Insights is an initiative of BTDT Hub, a leading human capital development company focusing on careers advisory, recruitment services, corporate training, and employability services.

DISCLAIMER:  This article only provides general information and insights on the subject matter.  It does not by itself create a client/consultant relationship between readers and BTDT Hub.

We are available to provide expert career/business advice and services on specific circumstances via INFO@BTDTHUB.COM 

EDITORIAL TEAM

  • Oluwatayo Dada (Chief Operating Officer)
  • Odunola Oyeyipo (Product Manager)

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is simply the ability to manage your emotions and that of others. It encompasses the awareness of emotions, harnessing them and applying them to tasks and problem solving. People with emotional intelligence find it easier to form and maintain interpersonal relationships. They are better at recognizing and understanding their mental state with personal and social skills or competencies.

Being sensitive to other people’s feelings is an important part of being a leader. Your team matters to you and you want to make sure that you get them to perform tasks in the way they are able to. See a few emotional intelligence tips that help you become a better leader:

Be a manager

You need to be self-aware, it helps you to understand your feelings and how they affect others so you know when to adjust accordingly. You need to learn how to manage people; a manager is resilient and able to keep adequate control of heightened situations. You want to be someone that people can look up to in a moment of crisis because; they know you can handle it. A good manager focuses on their long term goals regardless of whatever stumbling blocks they might meet along the way.

In the same vein, emotional intelligence requires you as a manager to have empathy towards others. You need to understand their feelings and perspectives, which helps you to look at various things objectively. It is a learned skill, so try to regulate your actions along the way to benefit yourself and others emotionally.

Read more

Pick up random books and read about different things. It creates a feeling of having a conversation with people whose IQ are high; maybe even higher than yours. Make efforts to engage in discussions with people who inspire you. It really is simple – just read.

Actively listen

This is not an innate ability, but you will have to learn it to be emotionally intelligent. Consciously listen to other people’s grievances and issues, without waiting for them to finish so you can talk. It takes a lot of willpower and hard work to see things through other people’s eyes but when you do, things get better. Listening actively also allows for positive results like compassion and empathy.

Learn from mistakes

Nobody is perfect, so don’t be hard on yourself when you make mistakes. Simply learn from them. You might have misconstrued something your subordinate said and reacted adversely to it when they hadn’t meant it in the way you have interpreted it. It is very crucial that you do not forget to learn from these missteps as a second occurrence shows a lack of empathy towards the other person. Write down your mistakes, figure out what you did wrong, what could make it better and learn from it.

Lifelong learning

Do not stop learning. The digital market is filled with resources available from anywhere you choose, use them. Do you have new challenges? Were there certain issues in the work place you wished you had handled better? What better ways are there to react to certain happenings? You could also visit our page to book a session. Research these topics for the slightest knowledge about them. The internet remains everyone’s learning environment.

Proper Communication (For The Workplace)

In a world as social as ours, communication is more than just messages. It’s about perception, interpretation and ultimately a cogent ingredient for lasting relationships. There is the need to present messages in an unadulterated, undistorted way for the benefit of the end user. It pans across a host of industries and can mean/be used for different things in different situations.

It’s about expressions, mode of dressing, verbal exchanges, press releases, advertisements, choice of words, etc. Communication in the workplace is crucial to the survival of your role. Miscommunication can lead to arguments and blame games, so you want to be able to interpret tasks in the way that you can produce the intended results, sometimes even better.

To improve communication, see a few tips that can be applied to your workplace practice:

Context and content of the message

Try to understand the context and content of the message. Is it precise? If you find yourself saying “I think I’m supposed to…”, then you need clarification on the actual aim of the message and how you are to tackle it. Make sure you are always clear on what to do so as to avoid any form of back-and-forth. Pay attention to details and listen attentively for what is required of you.

If you need to ask questions based on your understanding of the message, ask them. If you have middlemen in between the process in which you go the message, ensure you clarify from the real source. It’s likely possible your message has been distorted.

Medium

Sometimes, you find out that the medium through which a message has been passed to you plays a vital role in its interpretation. There are different mediums through which tasks could be assigned in the workplace and they can be formal or informal. The formality that naturally accompanies e-mails could pose the task in a more heightened light than that which has been sent through the office chat system. You need to be able to look out for pointers like these to decide your approach to execution.

Have physical conversations

Maybe have physical conversations sometimes than sending an email? When things are written down, the receiver is most likely left with the ability to choose what tone the message is carrying. If you are sending something really formal, why not have a conversation with the receiver, briefing them about the task and informing them ahead of time to expect a transcript? Sometimes e-mails sent in the workplace are always perceived wrongly – which is socially bad for teams.

Respect diversity

A workplace always swoons with people of different make ups. Their views and values are extremely different and so, the manner in which messages will be passed to them should be weighed through the same scale(s). You want to represent people’s beliefs and culture in a way that doesn’t feel discriminating or demeaning. Even the same words would sometimes have a different meaning to them than they will to you, so ensure you accord them the respect they deserve regardless of how different they are.

Delete your emotions

Especially when you are the receiver. If things go south because of a certain message, your emotions won’t matter because even if you are the executor, the sender owns the message and the intentions behind it. They have a mental picture of what the end result should be, so you should make sure to paint that picture for them in the way they have intended. Communication is usually underemphasized and barely taken seriously, but contributes greatly to an organization’s productivity when utilized well.

5 Tips on Building Self Confidence

5 tips on building self confidence

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” ~ Arthur Ashe

Self-confidence is an attractive trait; it is trusting in one’s skills, decisions, and characteristics. A good number of people strive to attain a certain level of self-confidence. It provides an avenue for you to maximise your potentials and showcase it. Self-confidence is essential in building and developing oneself as it is needed in almost all phases of life.

Self-Confidence is your attitude and viewpoint towards happenings either past, present or projected.  It is how you see yourself, how you behave towards yourself, the belief you have in your capabilities and the level of value you’ve placed on yourself. Self-confidence is expressed in how you speak, what you say and how you respond to certain situations.

How is self-confidence built?

It starts with your mind and your thoughts. Understand that you are valuable and that you are more than enough. Know yourself, understand your strengths and start to apply yourself. Below are five sure-fire ways of building long lasting self-confidence.

  • Self-Knowledge is Key

Know thyself. Be self-aware, understand and analyse your strengths and weaknesses. Carry out deep reflections; find out what motivates you, what you fear, and your belief system. Review your attitude and responses to your career, your social life and your personal relationships. 

Stay true to yourself because self-deceit is damaging to personal development. You can start writing about yourself, major highlights in your life. This helps you feel in control as you are more aware of what is happening in and around you and you can choose how to react to them.

  • Become Skilled

Find what you are passionate about; it might be multiple things but start with the one you are most passionate about and start to train yourself. Get professional training if necessary, practice constantly and sharpen your skills. It is okay to make mistakes during the process.

The more you practice, the better you become and this helps you be more confident. You also start to accomplish small wins which also reinforces your trust in your abilities and increases your self-confidence.  Doing something you really like makes the process fun and with each milestone you conquer, you become proud of yourself and have total belief in your abilities.

As you get better in a chosen area, start to look at other areas you are interested in and repeat the training cycle.

  •  Motivate Yourself

Push yourself! There’s a high chance of relaxing and resting on your oars once you start to accomplish small wins and you’re getting recognised for your work. Don’t get lost in the moment, plan for the future and continually put in the work. Don’t allow complacency to find its way in, looks for ways to be better, be innovative, chart new territories and let the comfort zone be far from you.

Affirm yourself daily, say positive words to yourself, look for/at the bright side of things, be  proud of your work and let your imaginations project positive. Set goals for yourself, personal goals and career goals and plan the processes and steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Let your plans be time bound so you can have a sense of responsibility and it’s easier to motivate yourself when you have deadlines. Doing what you love is also a good way to naturally motivate yourself.

  • Stand Up to your Fears

Once fear kicks in, the resultant effect can be crippling especially for someone who is still finding his/her feet. Fear can come in many forms; it can come through procrastination, through self-doubt, or through external pressure. Fear can cause a stall in progress which may have a multiplying effect on your confidence and personality.

Face your fears head on and be courageous and as written earlier, constantly affirm yourself and build up a brave attitude (brave for the right reasons). Don’t postpone facing your fears, deal with it and move on from it. Also set small short-term goals that are easy to achieve while preparing for the big ones.

  • Focus on the good

Surround yourself with positives. Think positive thoughts, socialise with optimistic people, read motivational books, listen to affirmative messages. Whatever you take in is what you would dish out and as the popular saying goes “you can’t give what you don’t have”.  Watch what you feed yourself. 

Engage in mentally stimulating exercises, play games, engage in sports, socialise and generally have fun. Also when you have low moments and negative thoughts are creeping in, think about your high points, your wins; both major and minor, interesting moments that brought happiness and laughter.

Assertiveness and Attitude

Good interpersonal skills require that you know the different means in which you can communicate and what sorts of responses your methods could ignite. Using passive or aggressive behavior in these relationships can have unfavorable consequences for both parties involved, which would create stumbling blocks in the path of positivity.

Being assertive helps to send your message across in a clear manner; taking the other person’s feelings into consideration. Telling people what to do rather than asking shows a lack of assertiveness and this will only cause a dent in exchanges.

Interaction is a two-way process and your attitude towards situations may differ depending on the other person. Here are ways to try assertiveness:

Manage Responses

Choose your attitude. Assertiveness is considered a balanced behavior and as such, you can choose the balance between passivity and aggressiveness. Not everyone can be assertive in every situation, especially when you’re trying to stand by your conviction firmly. There’s always the avenue to be passive or aggressive in communication, but emotional intelligence could help to balance the lever enough for you to be assertive. Try to express your thoughts and feelings in an honest, straightforward and correct way.

Be Attentive

Listen to the other person. Assertiveness involves other people’s feelings and as such, you should too. When you want to respond to them, make your thoughts known in a completely clear and honest way. Let them feel like you appreciate their thoughts and concerns and that you are giving them the space to understand your point as well. Also listen to the opinion of others, take advices that you think are good and gently reject the ones you think are not. When you listen well, you catch details that form people’s opinions or feelings and are able to deal with them accordingly in a non-aggressive manner.

Ownership and Accountability

Do not allow others to impose their orders on you if they are the kinds that go against your principles. However, whatever actions you end up taking should be one which you can own and be accountable for. You are responsible for your own actions. That’s part of being assertive – you are not blaming anyone for the failure of your results, just as much as you won’t really give someone else credit for your success. Avoid getting manipulated or offended by aggressive people.

Communicate

It is the ultimate thing you can do to be assertive. Be clear. Be concise and precise. Defend your views and feelings firmly and articulately, such that you don’t come off as aggressive. Avoid getting anxious while doing this; it often affects your delivery while communicating. Confidence is the only thing that goes really well with assertiveness asides its actual nature of clarity.

Give Compliments

Rather than shooting people’s points down, give compliments if you feel they have done really well. Even if they haven’t, compliment their efforts and explain what you thought of their work, offering to help in finding solutions or making it better. Appreciate their achievements; they have worked hard to attain them. Assertiveness is an attitude towards success and that should reflect in the way you handle things. Have a fantastic knowledge of emotional grip and control, being assertive solves issues easily and effectively.