In Photos: Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC 2015

Every year I wait with anticipation for the time when the cherry blossoms peak around the Tidal Basin. In the Washington D.C. area this typically happens between the end of March and mid-April. For 2015 the peak was anticipated by the National Park Service (NPS) to occur from April 11 to April 14 and this is exactly when it occurred. I went downtown yesterday to take my annual walk around the Tidal Basin. What a view!

This year the blooms looked more white than pink, but there were two trees with a deep pink shade - it was easy to spot them from across the Basin. All were so delicate looking and just beautiful.

Here are a few more photos from Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC 2015:

1. View of the Jefferson Memorial

 2. Close up of cherry blossoms and buds

3. Views of the Washington Monument

 4. Morning sun streaming - Cherry blossoms in Washington DC

Poetry: New beginnings

New beginnings and missed opportunities

Yesterdays are gone
Memories distant past
Time to move on
Those moments have passed

A path to the future
Journey still unknown
Stumbling in search of clarity
Of seeds yet unsown

New beginnings
Full of prospect and dreams
With change comes great hope
And nothing's as clear as it seems

A new start beckons
Its calling your name
To ignore new beginnings
Would be such a shame

Opportunities missed
Loss of starting anew
Embrace new beginnings
As life's moments are few 

Note: Originally published on the (former) Helium.com in March 2010. Unfortunately, this poem has been copyright violated with and without attribution, but the original was published in 2010 by myself. It can be found in the WayBack Machine archives.

Employment Trends for 2015

Image credit: CC0 Image by Joergelman / Pixabay

As 2014 has now come to a close, many people are looking forward to what's to come in 2015 in a variety of topics, including career opportunities. 

Technology has had a significant impact on workplaces across the globe. According to Gartner, the "rise of smart machines, ubiquitous access and software-defined architectures will reshape IT" over the next year.

In the past decade or two, due to the rise of more integrated technology, jobs have been enhanced, replaced and, for some, provided some major headaches. Love it or hate it, it is a part of the modern workplace and 2015 will be no different. Technology, along with some other changes, are forecast to dominate employment trends in the upcoming year.

Here are some of the anticipated top employment trends for 2015:

• Social media for recruiting and searching jobs
• Decline of human resources
• Infographic-style resumes
• Job sharing
• Exercise while working (treadmill desks or standing workspaces)
• Casual attire
• Generation Z being sought as interns/employers developing relationships with students long before graduation
• Millennials become the largest employed population
• Millennials will also grow into leadership roles
• The pay gap between men and women (ages 25 to 34) is still present, however the gap in this generation is closing.
• Mobile will become more relevant in job search

One of my personal favorite trends, this one predicted by Forbes, indicated that honesty will become more dominant. The younger generations are demanding transparency in companies. As they become leaders, will many embrace this philosophy? The other question I ponder is if sometime in the near future the glass ceiling may finally actually shatter?

What trends do you anticipate? Anything you like or dislike about the way the job market is changing?

Additional Sources:http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/30/19internship_ep.h32.html
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/771/wage-gap-between-men-and-women-almost-closed-for-millennials.htmlhttp://www.smartcompany.com.au/people/human-resources/43305-fifteen-job-trends-you-ll-see-in-2015.html#