10 Types of Companies You Should Never Work For

10 Types of Companies You Should Never Work For In your job search, you will come across a wide variety of companies. Some will be better to work for than others. Some will suit your working style best. And some are best avoided entirely. Keep an eye out for companies to steer clear of completely, and learn to recognize them early- and save yourself some suffering and stress!1. The Revolving DoorKeep an eye out for companies with really high turnover, ones stuck in a hire-and-fire cycle and hunting for the same new roles every six months or a year. This is either the fault of a bad internal culture or fickle management. It’s bad news either way.2. The Group InterviewersSome companies like to save time by interviewing candidates in batches. If they can’t take the time to interview candidates one-on-one, they might not be for you.3. The Bad Culture/ReputationIf a company has consistently bad employee reviews, that’s a bad sign. Worse if the recruiter evades questions about employee satisfaction and culture. And if its reputation is bad? Well, it probably deserves it.4. The Glossy FakerThe website, materials, even the boss’s office are pristine. But the building itself, and every other office in it (mostly dark and dilapidated cubicles) seems overlooked and cluttered. This is a great sign of how this company treats their workers: badly.5. The Ghost CompanyThis company doesn’t give you anything to go on- no information about the job you are applying for, no organizational chart, no mission statement, no specified salary, and no other guidelines of any kind. This hint at  a huge lack of organization, and does not bode well.6. The Non-TrainersIt’s one thing for a company not to offer formal training and to expect you to get up to speed through informal training. But a company that won’t help get you up to speed at all? Not investing in you, and not worth investing in!7. The Foot-DraggersYou expect have to wait to hear back. But if you’ve been in touch to re affirm your interest or with questions, or if you’ve gotten another offer and the company refuses to accelerate the process or give you an answer, run away.8. The Top DownStay away from companies where there are a ton of executives and managers making all of the decisions and doing all the brainstorming, but the rank and file employees are more or less overlooked.9. The Stagnant PondIf there are no learning opportunities advertised and the hiring manager evaded your questions about your career goals in the future, stay away. You want a company that will help you develop and advance in your goals- not a dead end job, no matter how much you like it now.10. The TitanicThis kind of company seems to have it all- except direction. If they cannot articulate long-term goals or future plans, then senior leadership isn’t disseminating what it needs to. That’s never a good sign.

How to Make Biodiesel From Vegetable Oil

How to Make Biodiesel From Vegetable Oil Biodiesel is a diesel fuel that is made by reacting vegetable oil (cooking oil) with other common chemicals. Biodiesel may be used in any diesel automotive engine in its pure form or blended with petroleum-based diesel. No modifications are required, and the result is a less-expensive, renewable, clean-burning fuel. Heres how to make biodiesel from fresh oil. You can also make biodiesel from waste cooking oil, but that is a little more involved, so lets start with the basics. Materials for Making Biodiesel 1 liter of new vegetable oil (e.g., canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil)3.5 grams (0.12 ounces) sodium hydroxide (also known as lye). Sodium hydroxide is used for some drain cleaners. The label should state that the product contains sodium hydroxide (not calcium hypochlorite, which is found in many other drain cleaners).200 milliliters (6.8 fluid ounces) of methanol (methyl alcohol). Heet fuel treatment is methanol. Be sure the label says the product contains methanol (Iso-Heet, for example, contains isopropyl alcohol and wont work).Blender with a low-speed option. The pitcher for the blender is to be used only for making biodiesel. You want to use one made from glass, not plastic because the methanol you will use can react with plastic.Digital scale [to accurately measure 3.5 grams (0.12 ounces)]Glass container marked for 200 milliliters (6.8 fluid ounces). If you dont have a beaker, measure the volume using a measuring cup, pour it into a glass jar, then mark the fill-line on the out side of the jar. Glass or plastic container that is marked for 1 liter (1.1 quarts)Widemouthed glass or plastic container that will hold at least 1.5 liters (2-quart pitcher works well)Safety glasses, gloves, and probably an apron You do not want to get sodium hydroxide or methanol on your skin, nor do you want to breathe the vapors from either chemical. Both chemicals are toxic. Please read the warning labels on the containers for these products. Methanol is readily absorbed through your skin, so do not get it on your hands. Sodium hydroxide is caustic and will give you a chemical burn. Prepare your biodiesel in a well-ventilated area. If you spill either chemical on your skin, rinse it off immediately with water. How to Make Biodiesel You want to prepare the biodiesel in a room that is at least 70 degrees F because the chemical reaction will not proceed to completion if the temperature is too low.If you havent already, label all your containers as Toxic- Only Use for Making Biodiesel. You dont want anyone drinking your supplies, and you dont want to use the glassware for food again.Pour 200 milliliters methanol (Heet) into the glass blender pitcher.Turn the blender on its lowest setting and slowly add 3.5 grams sodium hydroxide (lye). This reaction produces sodium methoxide, which must be used right away or else it loses its effectiveness. (Like sodium hydroxide, it can be stored away from air/moisture, but that might not be practical for a home setup.)Mix the methanol and sodium hydroxide until the sodium hydroxide has completely dissolved (about 2 minutes), then add 1 liter of vegetable oil to this mixture.Continue blending this mixture (on low speed) for 20 to 30 minutes.Pour the mixture into a widemouthed jar. You will see the liquid start to separate out into layers. The bottom layer will be glycerin. The top layer is the biodiesel. Allow at least a couple of hours for the mixture to fully separate. You want to keep the top layer as your biodiesel fuel. If you like, you can keep the glycerin for other projects. You can either carefully pour off the biodiesel or use a pump or baster to pull the biodiesel off of the glycerin. Using Biodiesel Normally, you can use pure biodiesel or a mixture of biodiesel and petroleum diesel as a fuel in any unmodified diesel engine. There are two situations in which you definitely should mix biodiesel with petroleum-based diesel: If you are going to be running the engine at a temperature lower than 55 degrees F (13 degrees C), you should mix biodiesel with petroleum diesel. A 50:50 mixture will work in cold weather. Pure biodiesel will thicken and cloud at 55 degrees F, which could clog your fuel line and stop your engine. Pure petroleum diesel, in contrast, has a cloud point of -10 degrees F (-24 degrees C). The colder your conditions, the higher percentage of petroleum diesel you will want to use. Above 55 degrees F, you can use pure biodiesel without any problem. Both types of diesel return to normal as soon as the temperature warms above their cloud point.You will want to use a mixture of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel (called B20) if your engine has natural rubber seals or hoses. Pure biodiesel can degrade natural rubber, though B20 tends not to cause problems. If you have an older engine (which is where natural rubber parts are found), you could replace the rubber with polymer parts and run pur e biodiesel. Biodiesel Stability and Shelf Life You probably dont stop to think about it, but all fuels have a shelf life that depends on their chemical composition and storage conditions. The chemical stability of biodiesel depends on the oil from which it was derived. Biodiesel from oils that naturally contain the antioxidant tocopherol or vitamin E (e.g., rapeseed oil) remain usable longer than biodiesel from other types of vegetable oils. According to Jobwerx.com, stability is noticeably diminished after 10 days, and the fuel may be unusable after two months. Temperature also affects fuel stability in that excessive temperatures may denature the fuel.