Health and Human Services Professional Development

Listen, Learn, Lead! by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 1, 2013   Four-star general Stanley McChrystal was commander of U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan where he worked with various people of various ages and skill sets. The ability to lead effectively can mean life or death in the military. In this Ted talks video he explains his experiences with leadership and shares some advice. • Leaders need to understand the changing world and the changing needs of those that they are leading. • Good leaders can let you fail, but not let you be a failure. • Good leaders allow others to depend on themselves. • Relationships are the key to leadership. Everyone must support one another and leaders must set the example. blob:https://embed.ted.com/7d446574-0b54-4f84-96b5-460dbaec3682 *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Start Planning for Grad School by   Jill Bowers   on   August 6, 2013   If you are a junior or senior, you have probably started thinking about whether or not you want to go to graduate school or what programs you may want to apply to. If you are just beginning your undergraduate studies, graduate school may not be on your mind at all yet being proactive NOW will ensure you have good options later…AND many of the things you can do now to start preparing for applying for graduate schools are similar to activities that will help you on the job market! Whether or not graduate school (for example, getting a Master’s Degree or PhD) is right for you depends on your career goals, your major, and many other factors. Many individuals want to pursue graduate school because it gives them greater earning power and more opportunities to advance their career, allows them to switch career paths, buys them time to think more about what they want to do after their academic...

Phone Interview Etiquette by   Jill Bowers   on   August 9, 2013 It’s just a phone interview, so relax, tell your friends not to leave, put your feet up, and get out a bag of chips while you are at it…OR NOT. These would all be great if you want to set yourself up for FAILURE. You want to prepare for the interview and treat it with the professionalism you strive to exhibit in a face-to-face interview. I’ve been on conference calls where I can hear others eating, talking, blowing their nose, or other background noise…there is nothing more distracting and in an interview, it is a reflection of your professionalism and could make employers believe that you are really not that interested in the job. Here are a few tips for phone interview etiquette: If it is not scheduled ahead of time and you are not place where you could or should take the call (e.g., at work or class, driving, or out with friends), let it go to voicemail and call back Practice for the interview as...

How Your Career Path and Everyday Habits Influence Longevity by   Jill Bowers   on   August 2, 2013   National Geographic writer and explorer, Dan Buettner, and colleagues (from National Geographic and The Institute on Aging) examined 4 geographic locations (“blue zones”) in which individuals live longer than they do in the United States. They found these individuals had some things in common in (eating habits, outlook, exercise, and more – see infographic for more): This information reveals the importance of healthy choices and balance in your life….and hopefully you have chosen a career path that gives you a sense of purpose and makes you happy. For more information, see Dan Buettner’s Ted Talk, “How To Live To Be 100+” here: blob:https://embed.ted.com/e7ba03a4-05ca-4280-a89e-21da733b5e9f *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Everyday Leadership by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 9, 2013   What is a good leader? What makes someone a leader? How are you a leader? These are all questions that you could be asked in a job interview. Discover the leader within you! Drew Dudley does not believe that leadership is only for a select few. In this Ted Talk video, he shares his ideas on “everyday leadership” and sounds the call for us all to be leaders. •Most of us are reluctant to define ourselves as leaders; we treat leadership as a goal. •Leadership is more than changing the world. We spend too much time valuing leaders that accomplish the extraordinary, while ignoring instances of leadership within ourselves. What have you done that defines you as a leader? Identify and OWN your positive actions!!!!! Leadership Ted Talk *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

The Power of a Handshake by   Lisa Brooks   on   August 13, 2013   What does your handshake say about you? Does it convey that you are confident and self-assured? Or, does it suggest that you are insecure, an emotional bully, or overconfident? Research shows that not only will you be judged by your handshake, you will be forming an impression about the other person when shaking hands. During my etiquette training at the Protocol School of Washington, I was taught to see the right hand as a sensor for discovering the type of person with whom I was dealing. Once you understand the subtle messages of a handshake and learn how to deliver the correct handshake, you will have a significant advantage in mastering your professional image. This article provides guidelines for delivering the correct handshake, as well as it will help you interpret (and avoid) some of the most common types of undesirable handshakes, such as the “dead fish,” the “fingertip holder,” the”glo...

Ways to Avoid Being on Employers’ Complaint Lists by   Jill Bowers   on   August 16, 2013   What are employers’ complaints about grads they have recently hired? Supervisors, bosses, and employers get upset when new hires or interviewees: come unprepared to interviews apply for jobs they do not have the skills or background training for demand salaries that are too high for the position (e.g., higher than what others who have been there for awhile make) or premature promotions write letters or emails with typos start and then quit the job without giving it a chance lack professionalism lack tenacity post inappropriate or unprofessional photos or status on social media accounts that are visible to the public, clients, or individuals they serve have poor attitudes, work ethic, or interpersonal skills See more and some general tips for addressing these issues from  The Savvy Intern article,  Employers: 13 Complaints about Recent Grads . Che...

15 Fast Tips for Developing Your Resume by   Jill Bowers   on   August 16, 2013   Your resume is essentially your own personal flyer or advertisement. The way it is written, your vocabulary or the words that you use, the layout, detail, and consistency…all of these things are a reflection of YOU. Therefore, when writing one, you have to use business or marketing strategies and carefully articulate your goals, passions, educational background, skills, and accomplishments to get “buy in” from employers. The resume generally serves one, main purpose, and that is to get you an interview. It is not the  only  thing that will get you an interview, but it will play a major role. Employers and hiring managers do not often read every, single detail. In fact, they will likely spend less than a minute looking at it prior to your interview, or they could simply scan it and toss it based on a few small errors or something that they do not like. So, you need to mak...