Health and Human Services Professional Development

8 Tips to Nail a Job Interview by   Dina Izenstark   on   July 19, 2013 When I was working as a Leisure Services Supervisor, we interviewed over 200 candidates to fill 150 counselor positions each summer.  It was a difficult job because we only had a 20-30 minute meeting with each candidate to decide whether or not they would be right for the position.  Because most candidates’ education, experience and activities were so similar, performance in the interview was often the deciding factor for whether or not they were selected.  Because interviewing skills can be critical in getting the job, I want to share with you 8 Tips to Nail the Job Interview from my perspective as a supervisor. Apply Early!   For example, for summer jobs, most park districts begin recruiting staff in December and start interviews in January. Many times we had outstanding candidates apply in June, but could not offer them a position because we already had filled all ...

Smart Networking by   Kacey McCormack, Guest Author   on   June 21, 2014   Networking is essential for career success. Yet, there are right and wrong ways to do it. For example, it’s critical to find mentors who are willing to help you, but if you monopolize the time of someone you just met, act like a know it all, ask them questions that are too broad or that could have been found with a quick internet search, or do not show gratitude for their time or the information they have shared with you, they may not be excited about meeting with you again.   Some tips for good networking include: Preparing in advance for interviews, Scheduling a time to meet with a mentor or potential mentor rather than just dropping in and trying to network, Asking questions that show interest in the person with whom you are meeting, Writing thank you notes after meeting with someone, and Staying in touch after networking. Also, remember that networking is a two way ...

Privileged College Student, Are You Grateful? By Shaun Hurdelbrink and Jill Bowers, PhD  on   April 28, 2015   Many view a higher education as the ultimate gateway to success, but seemingly few students express the gratitude tertiary education deserves. Unfortunately, the opportunities and privileges of being a college student may easily be overlooked or taken for granted. As a university student, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a fellow student complain about the amount work that needs to be done for a class, or how much someone is dreading the next difficult section. I’ve also been asked many times, “what’s the easiest class to take?” If anything, students should be excited to take on academic challenges instead of avoiding or dreading them. Understandably, this is not the view of every student, but my experience has demonstrated that many students may be in a counterproductive mindset. Throughout my life, higher education was viewed as an expectat...