Affect vs. Effect

Affect and effect are easy to mix up. Here’s the short version of how to use affect vs. effect. Affect is usually a verb, and it means to impact or change. Effect is usually a noun, an effect is the result of a change. Watch out! There are certain situations and fixed phrases that break the general usage rules for these words.

Now that the basics are out of the way, the time has come to learn the intricacies of how to use affect and effect effectively. Or is it affectively? If you’re lucky, it may well be a little bit of both. (For the curious, effective would mean successful in this context. And when it comes to grammar, success is the goal.)

The Difference Between Affect and Effect

Is it affect or effect? In a nutshell, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. At least (spoiler alert!), most of the time. In the majority of cases, you’ll encounter the words as these parts of speech.

So, if A affects B, B experiences the effect of A’s action.

Huh?

Imagine Ruby (A) pushes Raphael (B) into a pond. Ruby affects where Raphael is standing. Raphael being wet is the effect of Ruby’s irresistible urge to push him into a pond.

Because Ruby performed an action, that signals the use of a verb: affect. The result, or effect, of that verb is “wetness,” a noun that is probably causing Raphael a whole lot of discomfort.

Affect and effect are different parts of speech, but they sound almost identical. Sound-alike pairs like affect vs. effect are tricky because many people pronounce them as homophones, which means, well, that they sound alike. Bear/bare, here/hear, and write/right are other examples. So when it comes to writing the right word, here are the rules to help you bear the struggle.

When to Use Affect

Affect means to influence or to produce a change in something.

The tornado affected citizens within forty miles of Topeka. The medicine will affect your eyesight for at least an hour. Winning the swimming medal affected Tina’s performance in school, too.

Here’s a tip: Here’s a mnemonic: A is for action. Verbs are about action. Affect starts with an A, so it’s a verb. Presto.

Examples of Affect

Gravity affects everything in the universe, but the amount of gravity affecting an object depends on two things: the masses of the objects being attracted and the distance between the objects.

(Study.com, “The Effects of Mass Distance on Gravity”)

To avoid ecological issues, scientists and governing agencies consider how sustainable development affects the environment and its place in deciding future environmental issues.

(Bright Hub, “Sustainable Development for Affecting Environments Positively”)

And we could do nothing to help them; Dunham was crying quietly beside me, and all the men were affected by the piteous cries.

(John Keegan, The First World War)

Note that in that last example, the men are “affected” because they are changed by the disturbing events of war, but that this change has an emotional factor, too. When a person is affected by an event, that often means that the effect is mainly on the level of emotion or psychology. More on that in the exceptions section.

When to Use Effect

Effect is a noun, and it means the result of a change. So, if an event affects your life, you will feel the event’s effect.

The effect of the tornado was devastating. You’ll feel the effect of the medication in the next twenty minutes. Tina’s big win had an effect on her confidence level overall.

Here’s a tip: Think of the common phrase cause and effect. Cause ends with an E, and effect begins with an E. So not only does a cause lead to an effect, but also cause’s E leads to effect’s E, giving you a handy noun bridge to step across and remember which spelling to use.

Examples of Effect

Climate change may actually benefit some plants by lengthening growing seasons and increasing carbon dioxide. Yet other effects of a warmer world, such as more pests, droughts, and flooding, will be less benign.

(National Geographic, “Climate Change: 5 Ways It Will Affect You”)

With this measure, Lincoln effectively isolated the Confederacy and killed the institution that was at the root of sectional differences.

(History.com, “The Emancipation Proclamation Takes Effect”)

And the bell had the effect of releasing us all from the paralyzing tension we had just survived—but only for an instant.

(John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany)

And here’s a twofer, just for fun:

The most common side effects of antibiotics affect the digestive system.

(NHS Choices, “Antibiotics: Side Effects”)

Affect vs. Effect: How to Remember the Difference

In sum: keep your eyes on the prize. In this case, the prize is the first letter of each word. Don’t forget: “Affect” starts with A for Action—meaning it’s a verb—and with “Effect,” you can jump straight from “Cause” to “Effect” over that convenient E.

If you get that letter trick memorized, it should affect your spelling of these words immediately. In other words, make sure you spell them correctly.

Watch out for Exceptions!

Now that you’ve mastered the basic difference—effect as a noun and affect as a verb—it’s time to shake things up. In some contexts, effect is a verb and affect is a noun. Thanks a lot, English.

Effect as a Verb

Effect as a verb means to bring about. It usually shows up with nouns like “change” or “solutions.”

The protesters wanted to effect change in the corrupt government.

In other words, they wanted to bring about the effect of change—maybe by getting the government to change its policies or even step down.

If you use affect here, it would mean “to have an effect on change” or “to impact change.” Protesters who want to “affect change” would be trying to impact existing changes. That’s nice, but not as powerful as creating change, especially when there’s a corrupt government on the line.

It doesn’t have to be quite so revolutionary, either. This one is about social media:

What once seemed like a trivial way to keep in touch with friends, sharing photos and jokes, has become a force for societal change, […] empowering citizens of the world to unite and effect change in a number of ways.

—The Huffington Post, “Social Media as a Formidable Force for Change”

If this discussion about social media had to do with citizens trying to “affect change,” that would probably mean that they’re trying to speed up, slow down, or totally stop all forms of change that have to do with social media. Ironically, it might be easier to effect change with a really powerful Facebook movement than to affect the changes that are happening to society because of the widespread use of social media. Funny how that works, right?

Affect as a Noun

Affect as a noun means feeling, emotion, or specific emotional response.

The patient had a flat affect throughout the therapy session.

Sounds like the patient was in kind of a blah mood. Not too complicated (except maybe for the patient).

Here’s another:

Understanding more about the primary innate affects and the plasticity of the brain has important clinical implications.

—Psychology Today, “Affects, Language, and Cognition”

Say what? This is a great example of complex psychological jargon you might find in a psychology clinic or journal (like, for example, Psychology Today). It’s great if you’re studying basic feelings and brain activity—which is what this sentence is about—but if not, you’re probably safe with the knowledge that “affects” means “feelings” here.

If you think that’s a bit complicated, no hard affects. That is, no hard feelings. You probably don’t have to worry about this one too much unless you’re in the field of psychology.

But now if you come across a line about a graduation speaker having a huge affect on her audience, you can piece together whether the writer misspelled “effect” or the entire graduating class was moved to tears.

Affected as an Adjective

Well, this one comes out of left field. But affected can indeed be used as an adjective to mean pretentious, artificial, or designed to impress. It usually isn’t a compliment, and means that someone is acting stuck-up or trying to look like they’re more important than they actually are.

Note that when someone acts affected, it looks very different from when people are affected by something on an emotional level, like the soldiers above.

Here’s a literary example:

‘And yet’—the regent scratched one ear gently in affected abstraction—‘I wouldn’t call myself exactly incompetent.’

—Isaac Asimov, Foundation

See what the regent did there? His scratch is “affected” because this guy clearly knows he is not incompetent. In fact, he is very competent. He may even think he’s the most competent person around. Think of it this way: the regent’s behavior is affected by his own arrogance and sense of superiority.

What kind of effect do you think that has on the people around this guy?

Recap: When to Use Affect or Effect

Let’s recap exactly how and when to use which word.:

Use “affect” as the verb in a sentence when you’re talking about producing change or making a difference. For example, a new discovery can affect a scientific theory, and failing a test can affect someone’s mood.

Here are some synonyms of affect: alter, change, influence, modify, and impact (the verb version). That list should affect your understanding of the word. In this case, “affect” would mean “improve.”

“Effect” is a noun, and it is the outcome of an event or situation that created a change. The effect of the change can be big or small, but the fact that something changed is what makes the noun form of effect so important. For example, you can feel the effects of a cold or an earthquake, and the sun coming out can have a positive effect on your mood.

Some synonyms of effect include words like result, repercussion, consequence, outcome, aftermath, and the noun version of impact.

Affect vs. Effect Grammar Quiz

Let’s test how effective this explanation was! Test your understanding of affect and effect with our short and fun quiz. Keep track of your mistakes and comment on any questions that come up.

Do you need more details? There’s no more effective way to get to know a word than to see it in print.

Additional Information

What makes these two little words extra tricky is that they sound pretty much identical. Yes, that’s the homophone thing we mentioned earlier. For the most part, people will pronounce affect and effect almost exactly the same. But, every once in awhile, they won’t.

If you listen closely, in some cases you’ll be able to hear a slight difference in the first syllable of the two different words. So, “effect” has a slightly stronger “eh” sound, like in “red,” while affect is pronounced a bit more lazily, as “uh-ffect.” But don’t count on those slight differences to tell one word from the other. Only a very careful enunciator will make the distinction at all, and it’s a very subtle distinction, anyway.

On top of pronunciation, there are a few other phrases and unusual uses of these two words that deserve a glance. Here goes:

• There’s a whole scholarly field called affect studies, which studies affect—the emotional kind. You can even read all about how emotion is a big, academic deal in The Affect Theory Reader.
• Personal effects is an idiom: in this case, effects essentially means belongings. Chances are, your belongings have had some effect on your wallet, closet space, or personal life. Hence, personal effects.
• Effective means successful in bringing about a desired result.
• Affective means producing affect, in the emotional sense. If The Affect Theory Reader affects how you feel about affect, that would make it an affective book.

So, if this article was affective, you were emotionally moved by learning the difference between affect and effect. If it was effective, you’ll use those words correctly from now on. It’s pretty much a win-win situation.

10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Chances for a Raise

All across America, it is performance review time — the annual ritual of nervousness and wincing when everyone from interns to executives gears up to receive critical feedback about their work. In addition to the evaluation of performance and success, this is the time when managers and HR pros decide on bonuses, promotions, and raises.

While employees probably cannot turn the tide of a poor performance streak, there are behaviors you can practice that will improve your chances for a raise this review cycle or next. For insight, we turned to Joel Garfinkle, executive coach and author of Get Paid What You’re Worth. “Your manager will most likely never come to you and simply give you a raise. You need to ask for the pay increase. Don’t be afraid to ask for the raise,” Garfinkle says.

Here he weighs in on the ten simple ways to show your boss you’re ready for a raise.

1. Practice good communication early and often.

“Great communication skills are critical in every aspect of your career. Whether it’s communicating with your superiors, fellow team members or those you’re directing, effective and efficient communication will help ensure you’re seen as a valuable asset.”

2. Show your ability to motivate and inspire those you work with.

“Being seen as a great team motivator is typically key to moving up any company’s organizational chart. Great leaders don’t tell people what to do, they inspire them to do their best.”

3. Consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible.

While you may not be able to invent the next big app or revolutionize your industry, showing that you are proactively thinking about business solutions and ways to innovate will make all the difference come review time.

“Whether you’re developing innovations within your industry, your company, or just within your specific job duties, showing that you can think outside the box to help take your organization to the next level is going to really make a good impression on those who’ll be determining the fate of your promotion.”

4. Think about what contributes to the bottom line.

“Hard work is always a great start to securing that raise, but definitely not all that it takes. Your value as an employee, which is determined in both qualitative and quantitative measures, are areas your manager can put a number to and are often easier to use as leverage when talking about a raise. Remember, improving a business’s bottom line is a primary goal of for-profit businesses. For this reason, if an employee consistently is contributing effectively and efficiently to this goal, it’s going to be more likely these efforts will develop into a raise.”

5. Be mindful of timing.

Timing is important for these two reasons:

“The timing of the company’s fiscal health and future plans. How is the company doing, financially? Are they in a position where they can afford to give you a raise? What are their development plans and how important is the work you are doing to the success of those plans? This can increase your value significantly if they feel like they ‘can’t afford to lose you.’”

“Secondly, the timing of your supervisor. Where your supervisor is on that oscillation of employee worth can affect whether or not he or she can get your raise approved. Even the mood they are in (both due to personal and professional reasons) can impact your effectiveness on negotiating a raise. ”

6. Get buy-in from your colleagues and mentors.

“Endorsements and recommendations can be the deciding factor when it comes to getting a raise. When your peers or supervisors praise your work, definitely keep track of that as supporting material for the raise discussion.”

7. Be a risk taker.

“In order to negotiate, you must be willing to take the risks to ask for what you want. Your fearless and courageous attitude will help you take the necessary risks to get the upper hand.”

8. Be confident in yourself and your own self-worth.

“The #1 reason most people get less in a negotiation is due to lack of self-worth. People under-earn because they undervalue themselves. Be confident in yourself so you can believe that you deserve the amount you are asking for.”

9. Have the right amount of patience.

“Most concessions occur at, or even past, the deadline. Be patient in order to get your desired amount. You will be tempted to give in and accept the offer, but this is where the real negotiation begins. The more patient you are throughout the process, the greater your chances are for getting what you want.”

10. Stay ready.

“Employees should never wait for their periodic review to discuss their raise and/or promotion aspirations. Instead, they should be having these conversations with their superiors throughout the year. Oftentimes, raises require budgetary changes, and this means that it needs to be planned and budgeted for by your supervisor. Letting your supervisor know of your desires also allows them to give you more responsibility so you can take on opportunities to earn that raise. When you do take on additional responsibilities and are successful, definitely keep track of these accomplishments so you can use it as supporting evidence for your raise request.”

A version of this post originally appeared on Glassdoor’s blog.

How to Give Writing Feedback that’s Constructive, Not Crushing

Critiques must be handled with a deft touch, somewhere between soft-pedaling and soul-crushing. This advice will help you give constructive feedback that will leave the writer excited to make improvements rather than looking for the nearest rock to crawl under.

As a managing editor, I’ve helped writers produce more readable content. I thought I had a knack for giving useful writing feedback. That is, until a writer friend asked for my thoughts on her novel-in-progress. I gave them, pointing out where her plot seemed to lag and the characters felt flat. Surely she would be grateful for my insight and go forth to make her book even better, wouldn’t she?

Not so much. In fact, she eventually confessed that my comments caused her to shut down and stop writing for months, convinced she was doomed to fail and that her writing career was over.

Most people have good intentions and don’t want to give blistering critiques. (Well, there are a few surly critics, but they’re not the audience for this article.) You’re here because you want to learn how to give good, straightforward feedback that won’t make the writer defensive or, worst of all, deflate his or her spirit. Here’s how to make that happen.

Remember that creatives may experience imposter syndrome

We’re fragile people, we creative types. And, ironically, the more talented we are, the more likely we are to think we’re complete frauds—wannabe hacks undeserving of success.In fact, some creatives rack up impressive achievements all while feeling certain that, at any moment, someone’s going to expose them as nothing but a poseur.

This psychological phenomenon is called impostor syndrome, and it strikes writers who produce anything from poetry to fiction to monthly marketing reports. It may well be what you’re up against when you start giving a writer honest feedback. Even if she’s not outwardly admitting it, the writer may feel like she has no business writing and should give up and make way for the real talents.

The first problem of any kind of even limited success is the unshakable conviction that you are getting away with something, and that any moment now they will discover you.

—Neil Gaiman, author

Keep the writer’s psyche in mind when you’re preparing your feedback and make sure you acknowledge what they’ve done right as well as what needs improvement. Every piece of writing has some strengths, so look for them and be prepared to point them out.

Read the whole thing. Thoroughly.

Give the manuscript a thoughtful read-through (or two) before you give feedback. The writer is in a vulnerable position. He’s just handed you his baby and before you even hint that his newly minted child may not be attractive, you owe it to him to prove that you’ve invested more than a quick glance and offered a snap judgment.

Don’t skim. Read deeply. Take notes. If you can’t commit to this, don’t give feedback.

Forget about the compliment sandwich

You may have heard of the compliment sandwich, a technique for sandwiching criticism between praise. It’s often used by managers when giving their employees feedback, but it’s recognized by many professionals these days as ineffective. Think about it. Would this help soften a critical blow?

“I read most of your article and liked it, but your spelling awful and your grammar sucks. Are you sure you graduated high school? You did lay the manuscript out really well, though—good job!”

Instead, of sandwiching harsh criticism between empty positives, be honest. Don’t sugarcoat, but don’t trash the writing, either. “Diplomacy” is your watchword.

I’d hate to see spelling and grammar mistakes distract from a promising article. Have you tried using Grammarly as a second set of eyes to help with proofreading?

Ask questions that lead the writer in the right direction

The goal of a critique isn’t to show how much you know; it’s to help the writer expand on his potential. The best feedback leaves the writer feeling he’s had an awakening and knows what needs revision to make his writing work. Here’s an example:

Do you think there’s a way to simplify this paragraph? Shorter sentences could do the trick. What about reading it out loud to see where you can improve the flow?

via GIPHY

Don’t nitpick

Feedback is really about the quality of your suggestions, not the quantity. If the writer’s work needs proofreading, suggest a thorough line edit rather than picking at every little grammar, spelling, and punctuation nit. If passive voice or weak language choices are a theme, recommend that the writer take a closer look at those things.

A mountain of feedback, no matter how constructive, can be overwhelming. Choose a few of the most important things the writer can do to improve the manuscript, then point out an example to help them understand what you’re referring to.

Too many “to be” verbs can take the energy out of your writing. Perhaps you could identify some and rewrite them. Here’s an example:

He was walking walked to the market to meet Mary.

It’s a critique, not a review

Don’t treat feedback the same as you would a review. In most cases, when someone asks you for feedback, you’re looking at a work-in-progress, not a finished product. Giving feedback is about finding ways to suggest improvements, not declaring the work flawed and walking away. Share your ideas and tips.

via GIPHY

When you critique writing, your job is to determine whether the writer accomplished what they set out to do, whether that goal was to tell a good story or to write a convincing sales pitch. Focus on what the writer can do to improve the next draft and you’ll help them create a winning manuscript.

Geographical Use of the Definite Article, The

English uses the definite article, the, in front of some geographical names but not in front of others.

Geographical Use of the Definite Article (The) With Country Names

Typically, the article the is not used before the names of countries and territories:

Our flight to the China was canceled.

Our flight to China was canceled.

However, the is used before countries whose names are plural in form:

Have you ever been to Netherlands?

Have you ever been to the Netherlands?

The is also used with countries whose names include the words states, kingdom, or republic:

My sister lives in United States.

My sister lives in the United States.

My brother lives in United Kingdom.

My brother lives in the United Kingdom.

Other Rules for the Geographical Use of the Definite Article, The

Do not use the before the names of

continents (North America, Asia, Africa)

mountains (Mount Rushmore, Mount Everest)

islands (Saint Lucia, Antigua, Grenada)

streets (Broad Street, Wilson Avenue)

cities and towns (Birmingham, Seattle, Las Vegas)

states (Alabama, Washington, Nevada)

lakes (Lake Erie, Lake Kissimmee, Lake Rabun)

Do use the before the names of

points on the globe (the Equator, the North Pole)

mountain ranges (the Smoky Mountains, the Andes)

island chains (the Florida Keys, the Pacific Islands)

geographical areas (the East, the Midwest)

rivers, seas, and oceans (the Mississippi River, the Atlantic Ocean, the Nile River)

deserts and peninsulas (the Mojave Desert, the Balkan Peninsula

groups of lakes (the Great Lakes)

Language is always changing. Fifty years ago, Argentina was known as “the Argentine,” and the Balkan Islands always had the definite article in front of it. But Argentina is now perfectly standard and you may even hear people say “I come from Balkan Islands.”

First, Second, and Third Person

• First person is the I/we perspective.
• Second person is the you perspective.
• Third person is the he/she/it/they perspective.

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First, second, and third person are ways of describing points of view.

First-Person Point of View

When we talk about ourselves, our opinions, and the things that happen to us, we generally speak in the first person. The biggest clue that a sentence is written in the first person is the use of first-person pronouns. In the first sentence of this paragraph, the pronouns appear in bold text. We, us, our,and ourselves are all first-person pronouns. Specifically, they are plural first-person pronouns. Singular first-person pronouns include I, me, my, mine and myself.

I think I lost my wallet! I can’t find it anywhere! Oh, I could just kick myself!

We could do ourselves a favor and make a reservation for our group.

Many stories and novels are written in the first-person point of view. In this kind of narrative, you are inside a character’s head, watching the story unfold through that character’s eyes.

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Second-Person Point of View

The second-person point of view belongs to the person (or people) being addressed. This is the “you” perspective. Once again, the biggest indicator of the second person is the use of second-person pronouns: you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves.

You can wait in here and make yourself at home.

You should be proud of yourselves for finishing this enormous project!

Stories and novels written in the second person exist, but they are much rarer than narratives written from a first- or third-person perspective.

You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.

Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City

Third-Person Point of View

The third-person point of view belongs to the person (or people) being talked about. The third-person pronouns include he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.

Tiffany used her prize money from the science fair to buy herself a new microscope.

The concert goers roared their approval when they realized they’d be getting an encore.

You can’t always rely on pronouns to tell you the perspective of a sentence. Not all sentences include pronouns, especially in the third person:

Mike always hated school.

But if you look at this sentence and think “Mike isn’t me,” you can eliminate the first person. You can also think “I’m not talking to Mike,” so that eliminates the second person. You’re left with the third person.

Plenty of stories and novels are written in the third person. In this type of story, a disembodied narrator describes what the characters do and what happens to them. You don’t see directly through a character’s eyes as you do in a first-person narrative, but often the narrator describes the main character’s thoughts and feelings about what’s going on.

Sam Vimes sighed when he heard the scream, but he finished shaving before he did anything about it.

Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

Speaking in the Third Person

Most of the time when people talk about themselves, they speak in the first person. It would certainly be eccentric to talk about yourself in the third person all the time, but you may do it once in a while for comedic effect or to grab someone’s attention.

Tina: Let’s get sushi for lunch. It’s Jeff’s favorite! Tom: No, Jeff hates sushi. I think he’d rather get burritos. Jeff: Um, does Jeff get a vote?

16 Original Pun-inspired Costumes to Wear This Halloween

To anyone who’s been following us on social media, it should come as no surprise that Grammarly loves puns—especially clever ones that we’ve never seen before. With Halloween just around the corner, we thought we would pull together some of the most creative ideas to spark your imagination.

1Drawn and Quartered

It’s a good thing puns aren’t considered treason! Follow this helpful tutorial to cover yourself in Pop Art makeup, then draw or hot-glue quarters to an old T-shirt.

2Cool Hand Luke

You can keep your cool hand, Luke . . . just don’t give us the cold shoulder! This simple, comfy costume is straight out of your dad’s joke vault. Pick out a comfortable outfit—anything will do. Make a name tag and write “Luke” on it. Then, for the clincher, paint your hand blue. You’re all set! If you want to beef up the authenticity, pick an outfit that really channels Paul Newman.

3Barewolf

This costume is so great we can barely contain ourselves! Becoming the Barewolf is easy. Take your standard, run-of-the-mill werewolf costume, but strip it down, using only the bare minimum—some fangs or wolf paws. Bonus points if you can find a nude-colored body-suit. The best part about this costume is you literally don’t have to try!

4Punk’in Spice

Would you tell Sid Vicious that he was basic? No, we didn’t think so. Get your teen angst on with this punk-inspired costume! The goal here is to put the “punk” in “punk’in spice.” After you get your punk look down, finish your look off with a “spice” name tag, or—if you’re feeling ambitious—build a wearable spice rack. Need some punk makeup tips? Check out this tutorial.

5Corn on the Bob

Put the corn anywhere you like; the costume is yours! And then add another little happy corn friend, because everyone needs a friend! With this costume, corn on the cob meets Bob Ross. Get an afro-style wig, unbutton your shirt maybe one button too many, and cover yourself in corn—painted corn cobs are even better.

6Australian Shepherd

This costume is doggone dinky-di, mate! Sometimes taking things literally has pun-tential. Think back to all those Christmases you spent staring at the nativity scene while your grandpa told you about his bunions for the fiftieth time. Channel your inner sheep herd, then brush up on your Aussie accent. DIY done.

7Ozzy Pawsbourne

Extra credit if you play “Bark at the Moon” and howl alllll night. This costume can be an individual costume or a couple’s costume with your pup. If you’re going solo, dress up as Ozzy Osbourne, equipped with collar, dog ears, and tail. If you’ve got a canine companion, you dress as Sharon and style your dog as Ozzy.

8The Red “C”

Ahhh, we sea what you did there. Wear a comfy outfit and top it with a red C. Simple AND clever.

9Mockingbird

“Hey, I like your costume!” “Hey, I like your costume! . . . ” Dress like a bird. You can go full DIY or get a great costume on Amazon, but the best part is you can playfully “mock” people all night.

10The Walking Bread

Graaains! Grrrrainnns! Mmmm! Who doesn’t love zombie bread? Get this great bread costume or a simple bread T-shirt and zombie it up with some make-up to become The Walking Bread!

Get your #2 pencils ready, folks! We’re giving extra credit for word-inspired costumes!

1Comma, Comma, Comma Chameleon

Everyone will have to pause to appreciate this awesome costume! Start by getting a chameleon costume, then attach some felt commas with velcro or hot glue. Voila!

2Colon or Semicolon Powell

“There are no secrets to [costume] success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” —Colin Powell This one is simple! Just find your most political suit, and snag a pair of glasses from the thrift shop! Attach colons or semicolons to the outfit with pins or hot glue. Check out Colin Powell reference photos to make sure you nail the look.

3Grammar and Grampa

Grams will give you cookies, as long as you know the difference between your and you’re. This is a costume for two. Grab your SO or bestie, follow this “old age” makeup tutorial, and grow old together! Gramps is done once he dons his suspenders and bifocals, but Grams will need some corrective phrases and a red pen to polish her look.

4To Kill a Mockingbird

It might be a sin to kill a mockingbird, but this costume is heavenly! See our earlier Mockingbird costume, but add a Halloween-worthy head wound! Here’s how.

5Hairy Potter

Yer an artist Hairy! Here’s some clay… Unless you’re naturally hairy, you’ll have to get a gnarly wig; the bushier, the better! Caveman costumes are good for this. Dress in your clay-covered overalls, get yourself a ceramic or clay pot and—just like magic—you’re a “Potter!”

6Thesaurus

This costume is great! Terrific! Amazing! Yeah, you get it. Initially, this one comes with a bit of investment in a good dino costume, but to complete the look all you need is a list of synonyms and some pins! Or, just walk around offering synonyms to everyone. “Your costume is scary, terrifying, horrifying, shocking . . .” A few dinosaur puns might also get you in the spirit.

4 Tips to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out to Recruiters

You could spend hours polishing your LinkedIn profile. As someone who has stared at several LinkedIn profiles to give recommendations, I know the hole you can fall into when you’re looking for a new job and need to “spruce up” your LinkedIn page.

Although you could take serious time to critically review, edit, and re-review each section of your profile, you probably shouldn’t. Your LinkedIn page is vital for landing a new role, with 87 percent of recruiters using LinkedIn to vet candidates, according to data from Jobvite. Luckily, it’s easy to optimize the elements recruiters are most likely to check first.

1 Make Sure Recruiters Can Find You

If recruiters can’t find you, they’re not going to reach out to you. It’s as simple as that. There are two ways recruiters can find you: through searches on LinkedIn or Google, and through their connections. Let’s start with search engines, since they’re easier to master.

Here are four simple steps to optimize your LinkedIn profile for search engines:

• First, think about the types of roles you want to pursue. Are you looking for something in a field you already work in? Are you just starting out in this field, or making a large career change? List out the companies and titles you’d like to pursue in a future job search.
• Next, take a look at people at your target companies who have the job titles you’d like, if you can. Can’t find anyone? Try a comparable company or a slightly tweaked job title.

Here’s a tip: Pro Tip: Want to stalk—I mean look—at someone’s LinkedIn profile without letting them know you “viewed” their profile? Search them in LinkedIn’s native search, then copy-paste their LinkedIn profile URL to a new incognito window.

After you’ve found some keywords in these profiles, make sure to add them to your tagline, summary, and skills (if they are skills you possess). Also, don’t forget to turn on the setting in LinkedIn that lets recruiters know you’re open to new opportunities! That way, recruiters will find you first when they’re looking for candidates.

2 Stand Out in Your LinkedIn Tagline and Summary

Once you’ve made yourself as discoverable as possible, it’s time to home in on the sections of your LinkedIn profile that matter. And that means getting back to basics.

When I asked Angela Ritter, a recruiter at Grammarly, what she looks for in a perfect LinkedIn profile, she called out three major features: job titles, taglines, and summaries. Let’s look at each of these individually.

• Job Titles: Job titles are the easiest on this list, since recruiters are simply looking for honesty here. As much as “padding your resume” has become a cliché, lying about your title at past companies is a bad idea. Your potential employer will double-check, so stay honest!
• Tagline: You can either use your current job title or an aspirational description of the role you’d like, based on the keywords you found above. This helps with your searchability, so feel free to pad it with two or three keywords to make yourself more discoverable.
• Summary: These don’t need to be long, but they should describe what you’re trying to accomplish in your career, as well as what skills and experience you’re bringing to the table. Need help writing one? Check out my guide to summaries here.

3 Connect, Connect, Connect

Now, let’s talk about connections. LinkedIn is designed to encourage the collection of connections from people in your address book, who went to your school, and even people you probably don’t know in real life. While you should connect with as many people as you know in real life, connecting with random professionals without a reason isn’t a good idea. At the end of the day, your connections represent people you (unconsciously) endorse, so try to connect only with professionals with whom you’ve shared some sort of experience.

That said, connections and recommendations are important to recruiters! Just hear what Alyssa Seidman, another Grammarly recruiter, had to say when I asked her about the value of LinkedIn to recruiters.

Often, before even looking at a candidate’s resume, I will go directly to their LinkedIn profile. This can provide social proof of how their past managers and colleagues felt about interacting with them. It also can give me a better sense of the candidate’s interests. In an instance where we have a mutual connection, it helps make the process more personal! –Alyssa Seidman, Recruiter at Grammarly

4 Proofread Your LinkedIn Profile, Then Proofread It Again

This isn’t the first time I’ve said this, but it bears repeating. The details of your LinkedIn profile are important! I have personally disqualified candidates because they had typos in their profiles, and pretty much every other hiring manager has done the same. Details matter!

I pay attention to detail in candidate LinkedIn profiles. I double check that the job title in their intro matches the job they are currently in, if they took the time to outline what they’re doing in their role (at least slightly), etc. Profile bios and intros are always something I look for as well. – Angela Ritter, Recruiter at Grammarly