Tag Archives: education

Mar20

Choose The Right Medical Career Path For You

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Choose The Right Medical Career Path For You

Whether you’re looking to start your career fresh out of college or you’re an older adult who is looking to give their career a fresh lease of life and retrain, the medical industry has such a vast variety of jobs and roles that there is something to suit anyone, from any background or specialty. Some roles require no specific training or education and you can enter at high school diploma level and receive all of the training you require on the job. Others may require you to return to university to study on a medical or science based program.

One thing is for sure, though – if you’re looking for a job with career prospects and advancement opportunities, the medical field is almost certainly for you. It’s moving and evolving at a fast pace with the many changes in technology and scientific breakthroughs, so you’re going to be kept on your toes. If this sounds like the field for you, but you’re not sure which job or specialty is for you, here are some handy questions to get you thinking:

Are you a people person?

Some medical jobs require you to deal with people on a daily basis and form strong and close personal connections with patients who rely on you for support and their health. If you’re great with people, then nursing, surgeons, doctors, and practitioners might be the way to go. These roles all require specific training, but they put you on the front line of dealing with patients on a daily basis. If you’d prefer something a little less medical, but still within the care field, then health and social services and care givers might be a good direction to consider. These roles require you to care for the sick outside of the hospital, either in their own homes or in another institution, such as a nursing home. These are great jobs for people who don’t want to head back into a college education, and would prefer to learn on the job or in a community college, but still want to put caring at the center of their career.

If you’d prefer not to work with patients every day, either because you’re shy or just not a people person, but still want to do good and help to advance the field of medicine, then a lab job or researcher’s position could be more suited to you. These posts tend to be accessed through a college education, but lab work can be obtained with a high school diploma and promotions will come through experience in the role. Other positions include a pharmacist or pharmacy assistant, technician, or computer database operative, all of which are essential in the medical field, but don’t rely on regular one on one communication with patients.

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Wikimedia Image

Where would you like to work?

Not all medical jobs take place in a hospital or doctor’s office so don’t give up hope yet if that was initially putting you off. There are so many important jobs that happen behind the scenes like administration or Healthcare Laundry Cleaning to provide patients with sanitized gowns and linens. If you want to help people, work with other professionals, and you’re not too emotional, a hospital or hospice could be perfect. It’s important to know what sort of roles you wouldn’t enjoy, as well as ones you will. If you’re very easily stressed, it could be best to avoid the ER or other fast-paced environments. If you’d prefer to work in a job which helps people, but isn’t overly heart-wrenching, then why not consider eye or ear care, such as the Ear Science Institute? They’re always looking for people who want to care for people and offer training within the field for people who want to retrain from another skilled profession.

If you’re more interested in working with younger or older people, you could look into nursing jobs at assisted living facilities or pediatric centers. Knowing the types of people you’d like to work with or the types of work you wouldn’t like to undertake can help you to narrow your search to the right type of institution, which can then help you to refine it down to the specific role within that field. Don’t forget to consider some more unconventional locations to work, such as a medical base or cruise ship. Almost everywhere needs some type of medical professional, right?

Do you have computer skills?

You might wonder how your current skill set translates to the medical field, but you might be surprised at the incredible range of non-medical roles which are available. Computing, programming, and coding are always important in the field, so people who have those skill sets are encouraged to apply for jobs and training posts. There are a lot of databases which require maintenance within the medical field for patients and research, so that could be an option. You could even assist in creating technology like barcode scanners used by medical professionals. There is always a place for technical skills in the field of medicine! Otherwise, people with computer skills are required in research positions for genetics, where the human DNA is being deconstructed in a way which computer specialists will be familiar with. There is also a lot of technician work available for people with skills using their hands or electricals – the medical machinery and computers need maintenance, after all.

Do you love working with children?

Some people prefer working with adults and elderly people; others find working with children is the ultimate feel good career. There are many roles which involve working with babies and young people. Nursing roles range from midwifery all the way to pediatric nursing for children with long-term disabilities or illnesses. Pediatrics is a field which is highly emotive and can be quite heart-wrenching, so it’s not for the easily upset. Many people consider it to be one of the more fulfilling fields in the medical sphere, though.

How do you deal with stress?

Each different job within the medical field comes with its different types of stress. If you deal well with high-stress and fast-paced environments, working in the ER might be for you. Those who work in the emergency room have to deal with patient after patient, who could be in a tremendously life-threatening situation and the shifts can be long and relentless. People who don’t deal so well with high and sustained levels of stress might find hospice care, clinical work, or research more appropriate.

There are vast numbers of different roles in the medical field for people at any point in their professional or educational life and of different personalities and backgrounds. If you want a job in which you can help people and get immense career satisfaction, consider choosing a career path in the medical field – you won’t regret it.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb27

Improve Your Chances Of Getting A Job

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Improve Your Chances Of Getting A Job

So you are out of college and into the real world. Now the next step is to find a job. But in the current climate, it can be trickier than ever to secure one. There might be twenty of you all lined up for interviews, all with the same course behind you. In fact, many people are left down in the dumps when they haven’t received a job offer months after they finished college. When the competition is stiff, here is how you can improve your chances of getting a job:

Get Some Experience: One thing which can help you stand out from others is work experience. Of course, it can be hard to get experience when it means you have to work for free. Having bills to pay is no joke. But, if you can try to get a couple of weeks of work experience in a job, you will have some great new skills to talk about when you go for job interviews. And in some cases, work experience can actually lead to a full-time position if you impress your employer. Make sure you get some references from the employer and keep any work you do to put in your portfolio. It will help you infinitely when it comes to securing a new position.

Commit To A Follow Up Course: Despite the fact that you completed your course, it’s always good to consider doing a follow up course after you have finished. Doing a CE course can help you pick up extra skills that you need for the job. And, if a potential employer sees that you have had the training already, it could save them time and funds if they hire you. This might help put you a step ahead of others when going for an interview. Look into the additional courses that you could take (look online, too) to help you secure a job. Knowledge is power!

Mingle With People In The Industry: It’s also a good idea to get to know people in the industry if you are hoping to improve your chances of getting a job. Unfortunately, it’s often about who you know when landing a job. Impressing someone in the field could ensure that you are the first to know about upcoming positions. It’s time to get on platforms like LinkedIn and get to know people in the field. You can also join groups on the site and give your opinion on the latest goings in the industry. And as we said before, network in spaces where people in your industry are likely to schmooze. For example, you might want to attend trade shows and corporate events to meet people in your dream field. And name dropping people during your interview could give you a helping hand to a second interview or a full time position.

And remember to practice your interviewing skills so that you are well-rehearsed before attending the interview. Preparation is powerful in helping to shake away those pre-interview jitters!

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Success!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Feb23

How Randomness Can Add Creativity To Your Photography

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In many ways, the high technology of the modern world spoils us, especially when it comes to photography. Thanks to computers and Photoshop, there is more scope than ever before to be creative and to be expressive in photos. There are all sorts of techniques that can be used and many of them can help to make your work look more artistic and creative. Here are some fun camera hacks to help you add randomness and creativity to your work:

Move The Camera: Most professional photography courses emphasize the importance of keeping the camera as still as possible. The reason for this is to preserve things like lines and sharp edges and to prevent the photo from looking blurred. But sometimes you actually want to blur to convey a sense of motion to the image you’re snapping.

There are several popular ways of using the motion of the camera to take a better shot. “Panning”, for example, is a technique used most frequently in sports when following a target, like a horse, from one side of the field of view to the other. Another technique is “rotation” where the camera takes a photograph mid-whirls. Finally, there is camera throwing, where you literally throw the camera to take the shot. (With this one, you might want to prepare an area where the camera can land softly!).

As you can see, moving the camera can provide countless effects in itself. However, if you are shooting objects that are really moving, you might need more specialized equipment. For example, a car race would be shot best with a Line Scan Camera because of its high speed processing.

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The camera was not thrown for this picture!

Creative Focusing: You don’t need a full-blown DSLR to play around with focus. Some of the best bridge cameras in 2017 also come with options that allow users to focus either slightly in front or slightly behind the subject. The purpose of doing this is usually to pick out some other element of the photograph to focus on, leaving the rest of the image blurred. With the right foreground and background colors, this sort of technique can create intrigue and mystery.

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I’m intrigued 😉

Zoom & Shoot: Another way to use your camera is to zoom in while you shoot. This has the effect of making the outer edge of the image blurred while keeping the subject in the center in focus. Zooming while shooting makes it appear as if the whole image is sort of popping out at you. It’s also possible to combine zoom with a slow sync flash, which can produce some pretty spectacular results.

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Flickr Image

Shoot From Below: Top professional photographers have been using low-angle shots for decades to evoke a sense of scale. It turns out that the technique is extremely useful. Even regular sized objects take on whole new personalities when shot from below. What’s more, shooting from below is interesting for viewers. In our daily lives, we rarely see things from a mouse-eye view, and so when we do, it’s engaging if nothing else.

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Holy moly!

Use Over Exposure: Another thing photography school warns about is overexposing your shots. But doing it in the right setting, especially when an image contains dazzling colors, can be really effective. If you bump up the exposure setting on your camera, sometimes you can generate beautiful effects with foreground objects contrasting nicely with the burnt out background of the scene.

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Pretty!

Whether your passion lies in front of or behind the camera, learning the proper techniques can only benefit you in your line of work!

Jan31

Puppy-Love: Introducing A Dog To Your Children

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Puppy-Love: Introducing A Dog To Your Children

There can be nothing cuter and more heart-melting than seeing your little one(s) playing in the house or garden with their best-friend; their dog. Very quickly, you’ll watch them become the closest of companions, look out for each other, and make a bond like no other. However, there needs to be some responsibility when introducing a puppy or a dog into your home, especially with small children running about. The dog needs to get used to the children, especially as they approach life differently to adults: they scream, shout, run, and rarely sit still. As such, you’ll also need to teach your children how to care for a dog to instill a sense of responsibility as a new caretaker to their canine companion.

A Cautionary Tail: Making sure you create the foundations for a wonderful relationship can be dependent on the age of your children as well as the age of your dog. If you’re thinking of doing something fantastic and getting a rescue dog, you might want to wait until your little one is a bit older. If you’re getting a puppy, we’d suggest that you supervise the way it interacts with your tiny human by monitoring them at all times, at least at first. Of course, we all live busy lives and total supervision can be hard. So if you can’t supervise, keep your dog in a safe and comfortable place away from you kid(s),  just in case.

Creating the Best Relationship Ever: When it comes to bonding, you’ll need to teach your kids how to be around dogs, especially yours! The first thing you should do is teach your children how to say ‘hey’ to a dog nicely, so that it doesn’t get spooked or scared. Basically, let the dog know that you are there and that you want to interact with him or her. A great way to do this is by standing side-on, getting your child to make a slightly bunched fist and invite the dog to come to you. If the dog wants to play, then great, but make sure your little ones stroke his back and don’t reach for his head straight away.

Another great tip is to teach your child that dogs need to be treated with care and that they should always be gentle with dogs. That means no hitting, no biting, no scratching, and no pulling ears or tails. As a parent, reading up is always a great thing to do, as well. Read up on the breed of dog, yes, but why not go one step further and educate yourself on dog body language. This is an excellent way to know if your doggy is getting uncomfortable and being able to intervene before anything happens. Make sure you’re always ready to intervene, like we said above; just in case.

On the dog side of things, a great thing to consider is training; professional training. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new puppy or a rescue dog, dog training services are a fantastic way of getting your dog to behave, know your commands, and learn how to act around children. We can’t stress enough how valuable this service could be, not just in terms of safety, but your stress levels too – dogs combined with kids can be quite hard work!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan27

Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

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Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

A major part of ensuring your children grow up intelligent is encouraging curiosity. We learn more than anything by asking questions. A person could walk past an almost silent classroom and be tricked into assuming that learning was going ahead perfectly. But the classroom where pupils are asking questions is more likely to see a real transfer of knowledge. As long as they’re the right questions, of course!

That curiosity is often what separates the child who will get A and A+ in their exams from those who will get just pass marks. When it comes to excelling in history, it is useful to know that Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon. It is better yet to know why he did it. This curiosity is a part of any subject. Quite early on in learning a language, we will learn full sentences (such as “Comment t’appelles-tu?”). It might then be months or even years until we understand all the parts of that sentence. But understanding what each word means will give a student more confidence in speaking the language.

As a parent, it is useful to be able to encourage this kind of curiosity in a child. Taking a full part in your kids’ education can help them perform better in the classroom and in exams. Here are some tips to making your child’s life as educationally fun as possible:

If You’re Going To Watch TV, Find Time For Brainy Viewing: A lot of people have the opinion that watching TV is bad for children, insisting that they should be studying textbooks and doing homework. Of course, those parts of education are important, but TV can play a part, too. Historical dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects and the evening news are all worth watching. So, too, are quiz shows. Kids of all ages are pleased to see their knowledge reinforced. They will also be keen to enhance it in areas where they’re less strong at the moment.

You’ll Learn More By Traveling: It’s fair to say that if your child went on every school trip, it could end up costing you a great deal of money. Prioritizing the best ones for them can work out well, though. If they show a flair for languages, then school trips to Berlin and similar cities can enhance that knowledge. It’s also worth bearing it in mind when planning family holidays.

You can show support and encouragement for your child’s curiosity by participating in field trips too. You could provide transportation or be a chaperone, which will let your kiddo know you want to be there and learn. After the different expert-led school trips you take part in, make a point to discuss it with your child. What they liked, what could have been better, the most interesting thing that they learned, etc. This is a win/win situation as your kiddo will gain new knowledge as well as quality time with you!

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 Family vaca, anyone?

Take The Chance To Learn More Yourself: Any parent will know how much joy there is in teaching their young ones something and seeing it stick. From the moment they potty-train successfully onwards, there will be chances to do so. It never stops being satisfying. What we often don’t realize is that kids enjoy this feeling too. When you ask them about what they’re studying, and they tell you something you didn’t know, show how impressed you are and ask more questions. This will encourage them to keep learning themselves.

And if there’s a subject that you find interesting, why not take a few lessons yourself, at a night class or online? Speaking French around the house or swapping books on art or history can fuse a common interest which will be useful to you both. Curiosity, at any age, is something we should encourage.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan23

If Your Future Isn’t Too Clear, Why Not Consider Taking a Gap Year?

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If Your Future Isn’t Too Clear, Why Not Consider Taking a Gap Year?

Taking a gap year before or after college tends to be quite a European thing that I want in on. But more and more of us over here are choosing to take a gap year before we study. Take Malia Obama, for instance. She has planned to take a year out before she starts her freshman year at Harvard. So if you think that it sounds like a good idea to you, then you probably don’t need any more convincing. But if you are not sure, here are a few ways that taking a year out will benefit you:

You’ll Do Well at College: A lot of people think that it will be hard to get back to school after taking some time out. But in fact, reports from colleges have shown that students that take a gap year have a higher grade point average than those who don’t. So it won’t be as hard to get back to hitting the books as you might think. If you go straight from high school to college, it could be the first time that you’ve been away from home. So because of that, your grades might not be as high as they could be. But after a gap year exploring the world, you’ve already been away from home and got the partying out of your system, so to speak.

You’ll Explore With No Other Obligations: When you go exploring on a gap year right out of high school, you will be doing so at the prime age. After college, you might have debt to pay off. Any longer after college you might have a commitment like a mortgage or children, which makes it harder to just get up and go. If you do want to see some more of the world, then taking a gap year is the best time to do it.

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Wooooo!

You’ll Experience New Cultures and People: One of the benefits of travel is that you get to experience new cultures. It benefits people massively to be able to travel and see how other people live. You can do this by staying with local people through programs for gap years and by looking for things like Homestay accommodation. Then you get to see things in a much more authentic way, rather than through a hostel or hotel. You’ll get to experience the foods that people have on a daily basis, as well as how things work over there with schools or religion, for example.

You’ll Learn Life Skills: It isn’t just a big party when you are on a year out. You will look for ways to work or volunteer so that you can make the most of the country that you are in. You can also learn life skills like budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and navigating your way through foreign transport systems or driving on the other side of the road. All of which give you life experience that will prepare you for the new stage of your life in college.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan20

Getting Ready For College This Year? My Tips To Help

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Getting Ready For College This Year? My Tips To Help

If you’re going to be heading to college after the summer, then it can be a daunting time for many people. The transition from high school to college is quite a big one. Because let’s face it, it’s not like you are just changing schools. You are starting your life out as a young adult as many people leave home for college. So you go from having family around that can help to living with people that you barely know. How can you prepare? Here are some hints and tips to make sure that you get the most out of your freshman year at college:

Get Reading: The amount of reading that you’ll be required to do in college is a big step up from what you will have been doing in high school. So it is a good idea to get a bit of a head start with it. You can find out about your course online and what might be required. Then you can make a start on gathering books and things that you will need. You could even get a head start over the summer with some of the reading. What you read is more important than how much you read. So make sure that you are choosing books that will be relevant.

Sharpen Up Your Tech Skills: There is no point in getting a new laptop computer the day before you are due to start college. If you’re in a new area and don’t know people that can help, you could get a little left behind if you don’t know how your laptop works. The same goes for typing and basic computer skills. The generations going to college now are probably more clued in than the last. You don’t want to get left behind if there were things that you could have done about it.

Consider a College Consultant: If you are still in the process of applying for college, then it might be worth getting a college consultant. Having a mentor that has been to the college that you want to attend can make a massive difference. They will have the insider’s point of view that can help you massively when making your college application.

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Yay!

Practice Your People Skills: College is a great time to hone in on your people skills. It is the perfect time because you’ll be meeting lots of new and different people. You will be living with them, as well as putting together presentations, and working in groups with them. So do what you can while you are in high school to get prepared. Get involved in group work, volunteer for leadership opportunities, as well as helping with school events.

Time Management: Good time management is pretty essential when you are in college. You don’t have parents or teachers chasing you for your work or projects so you need to learn how to best manage your time. If you keep procrastinating, it can affect meeting your deadlines and doing well at college so it is crucial to learn how to manage your time wisely and effectively.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

May24

Friendly Reminder!

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Friendly Reminder!

Helloo everyone and happy Memorial Day weekend! So you guys might have noticed that I’ve been writing a lot more than usual this past week or so because I’ve been on a nice little break before I start my summer classes at Tri-C. Well my classes start on Tuesday, so you might not be hearing from me as much as usual, because I’ll have a buttload of classwork each week to take care of for three different classes. And in case you forgot, I’ll be taking Intro to Sociology, Social Psychology, and another math course. The best thing about the math class that I’m taking is that I’ll be officially done with anything math related if I pass the class – so keep your fingers crossed for me! My summer semester lasts for ten weeks, as opposed to the usual fourteen to sixteen week semester, so I’ll have a lot of work to complete in a short period of time. I’m slightly nervous about it, but I think that I should be just fine. I’m taking all of my courses online this summer so I don’t have to drive back and forth to Cleveland, so I’m looking forward to being able to hang out at the Starbucks down the street from my house to complete all of my work. So not only is this post a friendly reminder of the possibility of me being MIA every once and a while, but it’s ALSO a friendly reminder to make sure you follow my page so you can keep up on the latest and greatest once I get around to posting it! I can promise you that I’ll be up to a lot of fun shenanigans this summer since I’ll be turning 21 at the beginning of June (holla!), so you don’t wanna miss out on any of that good stuff! And as always, if you have any suggestions, questions, or concerns – you all know where you can find me in the comment section of my blog or via email! 🙂 ❤

^^^ It’s shameful how much I like this song and I’m so hopelessly in love with A$AP Rocky – HUBBA HUBBA!!!

How is everyone’s weekend going so far? Do you have any exciting Memorial Day plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! And pretty please wish me luck on all of my upcoming summer classes! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

I Love College – Part 2!

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I Love College – Part 2!

It’s not an I love college post without referencing the great Asher Roth at least once…so enjoy this music video and enjoy my post immediately after!

KEG STAND KEG STAND KEG……done already? Whoops. Then I shall proceed with the important stuff!

So I met with my guidance counselor today and she is absolutely FANTASTIC. Seriously we were a match made in heaven. I beyond lucked out when I got paired with her when I called to schedule an appointment. I won’t use her name to ensure her privacy, so we’ll just call her Miss Lady! And let me just say that Miss Lady is an absolute dynamo. Our energy is so alike it’s almost unreal. We’re both extremely enthusiastic and witty, but also straight forward enough that we were able to get legitimate work done amidst all of our first meeting jabber and jokes. I know for a fact that I’ll be on a path to success at Tri-C with Miss Lady by my side. She managed to get me into some classes so I can start them on October 20th rather than in January when the Spring semester starts. Needless to say, I’m THRILLED, because the last thing I wanted to do was have to wait any longer to start some courses. My counselor was genuinely interested in me and my hobbies. When I told her that I’m really into music, she asked me for suggestions on bands I like so that she could listen to them and talk with me about them when I see her next Wednesday for my new student orientation. I thought that was the coolest thing ever – the fact that she wanted to get to know me on a more intimate level than just guidance counselor and student made me feel like we’re going to be friends. Pause. I know we’re going to be friends…..

Jack White thinks so too.

Not only was she interested in my taste in music, but she was interested in my blog as well! She was specifically interested in my fashion sense which sealed our friendship deal right there. Anyone who appreciates my piercings, my freshly dyed bright red hair, and the outfits I throw together can be my friend any day! The personal touches she added to our conversations, like how she was excited to see what I was going to wear next Wednesday made me so excited to start this college chapter in my life. It’s so nice going into a new adventure with somebody on your side. Now I don’t feel so alone and overwhelmed. I feel quite the opposite actually – I feel empowered, I feel ready, I feel like I’m going to be successful. I’ve never felt that way about school before and it’s an AWESOME feeling. For once in my life, I feel really proud of myself. Tri-C – I’m ready for you!!!! Have a fantastic Hump Day everyone! Learn something new. -Sarah

Sep26

I Love College

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I Love College

In the words of the great Asher Roth….I love college. I love college and I haven’t even started yet. I went to the Tri-C campus this morning to take my prep placement course and my actual math and English placement tests. I don’t mean to toot my own horn or anything, but it went GREAT! It felt SO good to use my brain for educational purposes again. I haven’t thought about school related stuff since I graduated high school in 2012, and I honestly shocked myself at how easily I picked up a school pace again. The placement prep course was set up like an actual class, and it felt really good to be in a learning environment again, even if it was only for two hours. It felt awesome to be able to interact with a teacher, and to learn and share laughs with other future students. Math was never my strong point through out my high school career, but I apparently learned more than I thought I did, because I was able to recall a lot of algebra based problems that our professor was going through with us. That made me feel really good, because I was so worried that I had forgotten a lot of skills and knowledge after I graduated. It’s nice to know that maybe some of this college stuff won’t be so hard after all. The English portion of the prep course and the actual placement test was a breeze. I’ve always loved literature and creative writing, so it was right up my ally. I was pleased to find out I got placed in Beginning Algebra 1 for my math course and College Composition 1 for my English course. I’ve never really been proud of myself about much in life. But I’m genuinely proud of myself right now, and it’s a fantastic feeling. Happy Friday everyone! Learn something new. Do something fun. Be kind to one another. -Sarah

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