As we move in to the second half of 2023, temperatures are up and the need for experienced bench jewelers is still strong. Wages seem to be hanging in there as well. In my opinion bench jewelers are rarely if ever paid truly what they’re worth, but at least pay levels have gone up since the pandemic. Rents in some areas have also seemed to stabilize and/or come down just a bit. Also a good sign for those looking to relocate.

Like all other months, July has a pretty storied history worth taking a closer look at!…

July was named after the famous Roman general Julius Caesar by the Roman senate; as it was the month he was born in. Julius Caesar was a formidable military general and statesman who was largely responsible for changing the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. The month was previously called Quintilis (Latin for fifth) as it was the fifth month of the 10-month-long ancient Roman calendar.

As the second month of Summer, July is, on average, the warmest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. Its southern hemisphere equivalent is January.
In early July, a period of time called the “dog days of summer” begins. Historically they were observed within Ancient Roman and Greek astrology and were connected with bad luck, mad dog attacks, unexpected thunderstorms, heat, and drought. They gained their name as “dog days” as they were connected with the star Sirius, which is part of the Canis Major (Greater Dog) star system.

Nowadays, “the dog days” refers to when the hottest days of summer begin.
Coincidentally, it was in July that the rabies vaccine was first successfully given to a patient. The French microbiologist Louis Pasteur administered the vaccine to a nine-year-old called Joseph Meister on July 6, 1885. The child had been bitten by a rabid dog, and Louis Pasteur, unsure whether the vaccine would be successful, decided it was worth testing. Fortunately for the boy, it worked!

On July 5, 1946, the world’s first bikini was unveiled in the famous Piscine Molitor swimming pool in Paris. Just in time for the heat of summer, the bikini was modeled by showgirl Micheline Bernardini. While two-piece forms of swimwear previously existed, none used as little fabric as the bikini.

On July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies declared their independence from the British monarchy. The 4th of July, formally known as Independence Day, has been a federal holiday since 1870 in the United States of America.

July isn’t just the month for Independence Day, though. There are plenty of other great holidays observed around the world! July 2nd is World UFO Day, while July 3rd is Stay out of the Sun Day. In the US, July 6th is a pretty delicious day, as it’s National Fried Chicken Day! At the end of the month, we also have International Tiger Day on July 29th.

July has some pretty delicious month-long observances, too! In the US, at least there are three, in particular, that stand out – It’s National Watermelon Month, National Hot Dog Month, and National Ice Cream Month. Yum!

On July 25, 1909, Louis Bleriot became the first man to fly an aircraft from one country to another successfully. He took off from the coast of France and landed across the channel near Dover, England.

There are two star signs which fall in the month of July. If you’re born before July 22nd, then your star sign is Cancer. If you’re born after this day, from July 23rd onward, then you’re a Leo. Those born under the sign of Cancer are said to be loyal friends with great emotional depth, and those born under the sign of Leo are said to be very proud people who display great leadership.

July 12, 1943, was an explosive day. On this day, Russian and German forces fought the largest tank battle in history, with 900 tanks on either side obliterating each other at close range. After a cease-fire was ordered and the smoke cleared, there were only 300 German tanks left standing.

If you’re doing everything right, then crops of corn are meant to be “knee-high by the fourth of July.” It’s also in July that crop circles start to appear in fields of corn. For the most part, Crop circles have only started appearing since the 1970s, although there have been a number of cases sporadically reported throughout history.

Despite it being the first month in the second half of the year, July 1st is not actually the middle of the year. In a regular non-leap year, the midpoint is actually on July 2nd at 1 pm.

The birthstone of July is the ruby, considered by many to be the king of gems. At one point in time, it was considered to protect warriors on the field of battle if it was embedded in their armor. Nowadays, as a birthstone, it’s said to protect against evil.

July was an important time for the space race of the ’60s. The first crewed mission to the moon, the Apollo 11 Mission, launched on July 16, 1969. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by taking the first step on the moon while declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”.

July 16, 1945, was another big day for the world and a step down a very dark period of history. It was on this day in Alamogordo, New Mexico, that the first atomic bomb was detonated. The bomb was called “Fat Boy”, explosion sure was fat – as the mushroom cloud was 41,000 feet (12.5 kilometers).

Things to Ponder…..

• Take a different route to work or to the shops. It may not be the most direct route, but shaking up your routine will feel refreshing and may lead to new discoveries.
• Choose a topic that intrigues you or an area you lack knowledge in, such as a specific historical event or philosophical principle, and read up on it.
• The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!

Aced the interview but didn’t get the job? This may be why

By Adunola Adeshola

It’s the most frustrating thing. You’ve already started drafting your resignation letter in your head after what seemed like the third amazing interview with the company of your dreams. You’ve already planned your goodbye speech to your colleagues because you’re sure you’re going to land the job. But then, to your surprise, you find out that the company decided to move forward with another candidate and you’re left confused and back to square one, even though you were certain they loved you.

The truth is, they probably did love speaking to you and getting to know you, but here’s why they probably decided to hire someone else:

You were a culture fit but not a role fit.

During the interviews, you could have blown them away with the way you aligned with their mission and values. They could have made facial expressions to imply they were impressed with your responses. They could have even laughed at your jokes and loved your personality.

But ultimately, they might have decided to go with someone else because they weren’t quite sure if you could fulfill the needs of the specific role they were hiring for at the time. You might have focused too much on the company and not enough on how your experience aligns with the role. This could’ve been the case for you if they suggested you would be a better fit for another role entirely or if they shared that they genuinely would like to stay connected with you and will keep you in mind for other opportunities.

They weren’t sure if it would be a long-term fit for you.

This might not seem critical, especially at a time when layoffs have become the norm, but long-term fit is still an important aspect to some organizations when determining whether or not they should hire someone. This is because hiring costs time and money, and the wrong hire could have a negative impact on the company and team.

While you may have had several interviews that seemingly went well, they could have chosen to go with someone else because they were uncertain if you truly wanted to work at their company. Sure, you might have liked the role and knew you would do a good job in the position, but if you left them wondering if you actually care about their products and services or the goals they’re working towards, then that could have been a red flag that made them lean in different direction.

You didn’t show how you would solve their specific problems.

If you’re someone with an impeccable background who has delivered unquestionable results in your various roles, then there’s no doubt that any company would be impressed with your track record. During interviews, you might even hear comments about how pleased they are with your resume and what you’ve done thus far. But, unfortunately, compliments don’t always lead to job offers.

So, although you might have been one of their top candidates because of your background, if you didn’t point out the specific skills, results, and accomplishments that prove you could solve their challenges, then they could have moved forward with the candidate who was crystal clear on the specific ways their experience would be valuable to the company.

Now that you know where you might have mis-stepped, it could be tempting to beat yourself up about it. But, don’t. The fact that you’ve landed interviews is proof that you can land the job, and by elevating how communicate the skills you bring to the table, you’ll improve your chances of securing the job offer you desire and deserve.

Adunola Adeshola coaches corporate high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level. She is the author of the guide How to Go From Zero Interviews to Dream Job Offers.