Health and Human Services Professional Development

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...

Eating for Energy: 4 Easy Tips by   Natasha Chong Cole, MPH, RD   on   June 5, 2014   We get it – you’re busy. You barely have time to sleep, much less go to the gym or cook a homemade meal. You fall asleep in class or at your desk, and you zone out every 15 minutes.  The good news is that nutrition can help improve your energy situation. The bad news is that none of these tips are a replacement for actual sleep, so be sure to catch your zzzzs 1.     Stay hydrated.  The human body needs adequate water to function, and sometimes fatigue is simply a result of dehydration.  Carry a water bottle with you as a constant reminder. Also, beware of vitamin waters, sports drinks, and energy drinks, which can contain a lot of sugar and/or caffeine. If you’re not a fan of plain water, try jazzing it up with  fruit or herbs .  Check out:  Better Beverage Finder 2.      Eat often . Meal timing is an importan...

Hard vs Soft Skills and Employment by   Elizabeth Shuff And Julia Mackenzie, Guest Authors   on   June 7, 2014   Employers have long been focused completely on the technical skills that future employees bring to the table, which are often termed “hard skills.” Research, however, has shown that more and more employers are looking for people with good “soft skills” to complement their work-related knowledge. So, what’s the difference? Hard skills are what you would list on your resume. Obviously, hard skills will always be an important factor in employment. Employers want to hire someone with excellent content-specific knowledge and skills; the importance of soft skills, however, is becoming clearer. Soft skills are not easily taught, rather they are qualities a person has acquired. Research has shown that two of the most important soft skills are good communication and integrity. Employers are looking for people whose hard skills compliment their soft skills...

Effects of Networking on Career Success by   Kacey McCormack, Guest Author   on   June 7, 2014 Students and new professionals are always told to network, but what does that even mean? And, how do you do it? According to Wolf and Moser, networking is defined as meeting individuals, building relationships with these individuals, and maintaining relationships with these individuals in order to help both parties (you and the individuals) gain work-related advantages. Networking has been linked to higher success rates and growth in the workforce. For example, an individual who networks and knows more people in their career may   enjoy work more, feel better about himself/herself, and perform better . This can lead to   increased success rates   and   professional growth . It is used to   build contacts that can later help with getting a desired job or a promotion . Networking also helps increase   career satisfaction . This means that networ...

Lean In: Graduation-Style by   Mikki Sherwood   on   June 13, 2014   So, you did society a solid and got a college degree…………YIPPEE! You have it all together, right? Know EXACTLY what to do with the rest of your life? If so, you are in the minority. Luckily you have many many MANY people to help you out with advice! For instance, a lot of famous people wrote books targeting graduates this year ( I Just Graduated: Now What?  by Katherine Schwarzenegger,  If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? Advice for the Young  by Kurt Vonnegut) and some ordinary people wrote about extraordinary lives ( The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person can Create Extraordinary Change  by Adam Braun,  The Opposite of Loneliness  by Marina Keegan). In fact, even some comedic pieces were published ( Holy Shit! Am I Really About to Graduate? How to Get a Job Like a Boss  by Sir Isaac Navias). MY favorite book for graduates comes from someone with advi...

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 ...

Don’t Deprive…Eat for Your Body and THRIVE! by   Guest Author, Jennifer Ashley   on   July 22, 2014   We are constantly bombarded with messages about our weight.  We are told that thinness equals beauty and that being fat is a bad, shameful thing.  We receive conflicting information about the best ways to maintain a healthy body, and fad crash diets are regularly promoted in the media.  It’s no wonder that many of us are at a loss when it comes to figuring out the best way to eat for our bodies.  Most people who seek to lose weight view it as a task that requires depriving themselves and severely restricting calories. However, university researchers recently examined another way of eating called “intuitive eating.”  With this method, people are encouraged to eat based on principles such as: Eat whatever you want.  Don’t deny yourself a particular food. Eat based on physical hunger, rather than on emotions like sadness or bored...