Health and Human Services Professional Development

Human Service Professionals Author: Mikki Sherwood I teach a course for graduate students that is called “Current Issues and Trends in Family & Consumer Sciences.”  At the beginning of each semester I teach about the history of FCS. I have sections about the scientific roots of FCS, the  early leaders  of the discipline, and how FCS has evolved in more than 100 years.  I also cover the basic philosophy of FCS, explain the importance of the integrative nature of the discipline, and describe  Bronfenbrenner’s Systems Theory  in detail. My students all ask me why I think they need to have this information. I tell them to consider the fact that at some point they will be in the job market, in competition with many other people. They will need to be able to explain their unique attributes to a potential employer. One of the unique attributes of someone that studied FCS is that he or she has the ability to look at various aspects of the functioning of...

WHAT YEAR SHOULD I ATTEND MY FIRST JOB FAIR? It is never too early to attend your first job fair. Although you may not be on the job market as a freshman or sophomore in college, attending a job fair could give you an idea of the types of organizations that exist in your field, or the types of jobs that you can get. Make sure you go to job fairs prepared regardless of what stage of career planning you are in. You never know who you will meet or what kind of opportunities the career fair can bring. Therefore, dress appropriately (see  Making the Most of a Job Fair ), and if you ARE on the job market, bring a few copies of your resume (make sure your resume proofed by a mentor or career services counselor).  Written by: Jill Bowers Additional resources for attending job fairs: How to Prepare for a Job/Career Fair [Virgina Tech website] Top Ten Tips for Students Attending Career or Job Fairs [Quintessential Careers] Job Fair 101; What to Wear Bring, and Ask [Men’s Life Today] ...

To Ask or Not to Ask THEM by   Jill Bowers   on   July 6, 2013   When preparing for a job interview, you may generally think of how you will answer questions you will be asked by the interviewer(s). Yet, it is just as important to think of what questions you will ask THEM. Asking them questions about the agency/company or position to which you are applying for can help you to know if the job is a good fit with your strengths, interests, and career goals. Asking good questions can also show the interviewer the level of insight you have or that you have done your homework and came to the interviewer prepared. See the  Forbes article, “30 Questions You Should and Shouldn’t Ask in a Job Interview”  for more information and examples of good/bad questions. *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Job Interviewers are Prepared…are YOU? by   Jill Bowers   on   July 28, 2013   What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why do you want to work for our company? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Although some interviewers will ask some “wacky” questions,  it is still most likely that they will ask and spend more time on the more traditional interview questions such as these.  So be prepared to answer them! There are a lot of articles out there are on how to prepare for interviews, but  How to Ace the 50 Most Common Job Interview Questions – Forbes  is one of my favorites and includes 50 of these common interview questions and provides valuable tips on answering at least seven of them. In addition, the article lists ways that you can be prepared beyond the interview questions. A few examples: Have you done your homework? In other words, what do you know about the company?  They will likely ask you, “what...

Alcohol Dilemma: To Drink or Not to Drink in Professional Settings by   Jill Bowers   on   August 9, 2013   You are of age, it could ease your nerves, or help you to fit in with others who are drinking so you think, “why not…” drink alcohol during an interview or professional setting? Well, think again because according to research, drinking alcohol can increase your chances of looking like an “imbibing idiot…,” or at least, less intelligent and less hireable (see Rick & Schweitzer’s article,  The imbibing idiot bias: Consuming alcohol can be hazardous to your [perceived] intelligence ). Although it is likely that others will be drinking at a dinner interview, office celebration, or conference gathering, you should think twice about it when you are around potential employers, coworkers, or professors who you are applying to work with in graduate school. Professionals have different opinions about this issue and your own mentors may give you different ad...

Impression Management and the Power of Your Handshake by   Constance Harriet, Guest Author   on   August 25, 2014   From previous experience, I have learned that the first impression can make a significant impact on the tone of the rest of a job interview. It has also been documented that handshakes influence first impressions; see our  Power of a Handshake  article. Indeed, handshakes can influence whether the people we meet trust, like, or want to work with us. Bernieri and Petty (2011) took this a step further and examined the links between impressions and perceived traits that convey something about one’s professional work ethic. These researchers found that a well-rehearsed handshake can convey traits such as conscientiousness and extroversion without using words.  Employers who are looking for employees that are detailed-oriented and thoughtful about their work may look for employees who reveal conscientiousness in their handshake, wherea...

The morning of your job interview…just eat it. by   Natasha Chong Cole, MPH, RD   on   August 26, 2015   There are many ways that you can prepare for your job interview (see  here ), but one method of preparation that you may not have thought about involves nutrition. Here are 4 dietary tips to help you perform your best during your job interview: 1)       To Clear Your Mind Eat omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain health and  antioxidants  can enhance cognitive function. Excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and fatty fish (like salmon and tuna). Foods high in antioxidants include grapes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, green tea, and red beans. 2)       To Give You Energy Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates. These nutrients will help you stay full for longer and help regulat...