Job Lost - Start Preparing Now

Since the beginning of time, man has been the head of his household, the provider for his family and the lead decision maker. When a man loses his job, he feels that he is letting his family down. All of his personal possessions could be swept away in a short time, such as home, healthcare and sometimes even the car. These emotions can lead to all kinds of illness, such as depression, heart attack, excessive drinking, and sometimes violence against his spouse.

He blames everyone for his trouble and prepares himself for a pity party about how crappy his life has been. He is constantly asking the same question over and over again, Why Me. All of us must realize that in this current economic crisis, no one is safe. We must start preparing now for the inevitable. Do not wait until the last minute make a decision today to start planning for unavoidable circumstances such as a job lost.

All of us understand the emotions and feelings that come with disappointment. But life does not always deal us 4 aces in a row. You always have to have a Plan B in place in case Plan A is no longer working. What process can we use ahead of time, to keep ourselves from going off the deep end in difficult circumstances?

First - Save money in a special saving account that you try not to ever touch, unless absolutely necessary for rainy days.

Second - Do no live above your means by buying excessive materialistic items that is not needed.

Third - It might be necessary to move into a different area that has a lower interest rate and is more affordable.

Fourth - Get rid of selfish pride and replace it with determination and motivation.

Fifth - Find some type of home base business that you can work from home. This will elevate tension and stress and give you more time with your family.

These are 5 simple points on how to keep on living when your job is lost. There are lots of legitimate businesses that you can work from home. Just do all the research on the ones that fit your lifestyle.

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Tips to Become a Backhoe Operator

If you have a plan to work as a backhoe operator, there are several things that you need to consider for the preparation. It is known that the need for backhoe operator is highly increasing since all commercial and residential construction are happening everyday as well as the organizations of transportation preparing the ground for bridges and roads. At this time, this article is going to give you some important tips to become a backhoe operator.

The first thing that you have to do is to attend the program or school of heavy equipment operator. There are available several options of schools and programs that specialize in teaching the students everything about operating the different pieces of some heavy equipment that include backhoes. After you have graduated from such school or program, you will have many chances to get a job that running almost any pieces of heavy equipment machinery on a site that include cranes.

The second thing that you should do is to get your CDL (Commercial Driver's License). This CDL is required when you are hauling anything that using a semi on the public roads. Although CDL is not the requirement for operating backhoe, but most of the employers in the field of heavy equipment would want their employees to have this license because it can allow them to haul the equipment form one location to another.

The third thing is to search for a company that can give you training on the job. If you do not have money or time for attending training program of heavy equipment, you can look for a company that can give you on-the-job training. In this training, you can learn on how to properly operate a backhoe, but do not expect this learning process on the first day you are working. The company may ask you to do the other jobs for seeing your capability before you do your real job.

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Cover Letter Examples From the Internet - A Good Idea?

In the preparation for a job application the applicant will always want to make the right impression. Part of that ideal first impression is an amazing cover. Most of us don't write letters on a daily basis so when the need arises to write one most of us will consult the internet examples. Using example cover letters is not a bad idea as long as you take care while rewriting them to your particular purpose.

The first thing to take care of is that the example is suitable for the job or position being sought. Don't make the mistake of designed for say, an academic position in a school when applying for a job in an electronics factory! Read the letter carefully and ensure the tone and content is suitable for use in your application.

The next thing to heed is that the example is in fact not too broad for your purpose. Many large job sites or online recruitment agencies provide examples which are designed to be as unspecific as possible. These are designed to cover as many job areas as possible.

While these might be useful for covering over your lack of experience for work experience positions or positions for which you are new, amazing stand out to potential employers are the ones which show a little bit of targeting to the position on offer.

The most overlooked reason to take care of using example letters is the fact that if it is freely available online then you will not be the only person who could use it. Imagine the reaction of a potential employer on reading the exact same cover example for the hundredth time. This will obviously not give this potential employer the best impression of you or the other candidates. Of course the advantage to everyone else using the same template is that with a little care and effort you can stand out from the crowd with an original and amazing cover letter.

If you do need a template for ideas and to make a good start on writing your own then we do recommend clicking on the link to the right and going to the official website where links for many different and varied for your research. Of course, while you are there you should check out the amazing cover letter creator on offer. It comes with many nice little bonuses as well as gold nuggets of advice on writing the perfect cover letter which will land you that job.

In conclusion, using example cover letters is a good idea - as long as you are using them for research. Read them carefully and when you find one with what you know is the appropriate tone and content use it as a template to begin writing your own original cover letter. Using this in conjunction with the letter creator mentioned above, or with one of your own original cover letters you are sure to impress and land that all important interview!

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Model Resume to Show Your Modeling Acumen

In the present world, the advancement of electronic media and television has spurred the craze among boys and girls to get into modeling field. Any famous "Cat Walk" events organized in any part of the world is immediately flashed out to world audience through electronic media. Watching the live "Walking on the Ramp" shows on the TV, flashes the glamorous and beautiful world of models to teenagers, who are allured and aspire to be models.

Today, all branded and non branded products, such as cosmetics, apparels, jewelries, fashion accessories, sleek cars and numerous other product manufacturers, seek the service of Models for the promotion and enticement of customers for their merchandise. It has also led to opening up of numerous Modeling Agencies, Event Organizing companies and Training schools to provide the service of Models for various business product sale, display and promotional campaigns.

As the demand for Models have increased, so also the numbers of model aspirants have risen up, due to the greater employment opportunities, glamorous and money in this field. The allurement of modeling has also started stiff competitions among models to get any modeling assignment or job.

It is also necessary for the modeling aspirant to understand that, a model must possess attractive physique, face, acting prowess, style, proper grooming and adaptability in front of audience, camera and onlookers. Do you think, possession of these qualities is enough to get modeling jobs? The answer will be in negative, as any employment or assignment in this field requires, clearing different processes, such as Resume submission, short listing for the interview, attending interviews, give trial in front of organizer or agency personnel and others.

The first and foremost among all employment process is well articulated resume, as this personal information document is first contact between, contender and employer or hiring manager. By reading the personal and professional information furnished in the resume, the hiring manager decides, whether you are fit for the job or not and accordingly, he calls you up for the interview.

The basic content of your Sample Model Resume must mention following details under different sub heading. These Resume Model details include, Contact Information, Personal Summary, Experience, which also shows, prior modeling assignment completion details, modeling acumen etc. You can follow it with your Academic Qualification and Trainings in this field, Additional Personal skills and References.

It is also essential to pin up your attractive picture or previous "Cat Walk" picture on the Modeling Resume. The picture must clearly show your physique, face, eyes and hair. While, appearing for the interview, you must carry all photographs of your previous modeling assignments to show your experience, skills, styles and adaptability in front of camera and audience.

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Career Planning - The Road to Professional Success

Career Planning is the best way to augment a person's professional roadmap. Looking into his/her past achievements and reflecting on the various successes and failures, the person can assess the correct career path for him/her. It is a surefire way of determining whether a person is on the right career track, and if not, how to rectify the same. Many consider this task as a daunting one, and often put it off by making up various excuses to themselves. But it is something that is quite mandatory and can be done with fair amount of ease, if one is ready to spare that time. One just needs some time alone and a clear understanding of what he/she wants from career.

The basic points to stress upon while planning one's career are:

1. Making it a pre-scheduled annual event: Career planning should be allocated a good amount of time. A person must be on guard, and give his/her fullest concentration so that the thoughts are clear and unambiguous. The focus of the planning must be on the expectations of the person from his/her career.

2. Mapping the path since the previous year's career planning: One of the first activities of career planning is to spend time to map out the job and career path, since the last time any sort of career planning was done. One should not dwell on the past, but time should be taken to review and reflect on the path the person trudged on; this will certainly help the person to focus better on his career there on.

3. Reflecting on the likes and dislikes of a person: A person's likes and dislikes change with time; what was boring at one time may indeed seem viable at a later period of time. A person should spend some time reflecting on the various career options available to him/her, and decide which one seems the most approachable at the moment - but is viable to that person's abilities and has a long term impact.

4. Examining pastimes and hobbies: Career Planning provides a great time to examine the activities a person has undertaken as a hobby and whether they can be turned into serious career options. Many persons have made a comfortable living by transforming their leisurely pursuits into full-fledged career streams.

5. Making notes of past accomplishments: Most people find it hard to keep track of their work accomplishments. They struggle when they have to create a resume for a new job. Making notes of past accomplishments and maintaining their records not only helps in building the resume, it is also useful for boosting self-confidence.

6. Looking beyond the current job for transferable skills: Each job requires a fixed set of skills, but many skills are common to many jobs. For example, a successful reporter needs a good grasp over language, the ability to create and manage information, the ability to manage deadlines, the skills of editing, researching, writing, investigating, etc. These soft skills can prove to be valuable assets in other career streams like content writing, content creation and advertising as well.

7. Reviewing Career and Job Trends: Possessing a flexible set of skills helps a person find a new job quite comfortably even if his/her career stream is gradually shrinking. The trick lies in the ability to market one's key skills to the prospective employer. GIVE AN EXAMPLE This can be evaluated easily during a career planning session.

8. Setting career and job goals: No endeavour can be successful without a proper preset target that one strives to achieve. Research shows that a person who has set a target to achieve within the next one year will, in all likelihood, achieve it. Setting up a goal also helps the person track his progress comfortably.

9. Exploring new career or technical learning opportunities: Learning new things or developing new skills is always good for one's career. For example, a great Content Writer might just spice up his career by picking up some Content Designing skills; whereas a successful Web Developer will certainly find it helpful if he/she picks up some Content Creation skills.

10. Conducting researches for improvement of career: One of the best parts of a career planning session is picturing one's position in the coming years. This helps him/her to draw up a clear goal of where he might be in the next 5 years. Researching of career paths is a surefire way of doing this. For instance, a good Marketing Manager may indeed picture himself/herself as a CEO early on in his career. This helps him grow up the professional ladder as well..

Last but not the least, career planning is not supposed to be a strenuous activity. Career planning at regular intervals may indeed help a person improve his/her career and become more successful in life. This is a pleasurable job, and should be carried out diligently if a person really wishes to see himself satisfied and successful.

Preetu Misra

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Top Career Web Sites for Children and Teens

Career assessments and tests help you explore who you. Career books and web sites give you a glimpse of the world of work. Free career information is available on web sites. Some writers have written facts for children and teens. We would like to share some information with you. These web sites use graphics, multimedia presentation, activities, and other techniques to expand our knowledge of careers. We have written information on seventeen (17) web sites. Here are the four different types of exploring careers web sites:

Curriculum

General Career Information

Science Career Clusters

Specific Science Careers

Curriculum Web Sites

Curriculum web sites provide activities, tests, guidelines, as well as career information.

Resource One: Career Cruiser

Source: Florida Department of Education

The Career Cruiser is a career exploration guidebook for middle school students. The Career Cruiser has self assessment activities to match personal interests to careers. The Career Cruiser has information on Holland Codes. Careers are grouped into 16 career clusters. The Career Cruiser has information on occupational descriptions, average earnings, and minimum educational level required for the job.

Teacher's Guide is also available.

Resource Two: Elementary Core Career Connection

Source: Utah State Office of Education

The Core Career Connections is a collection of instructional activities, K to 6, and 7 to 8, designed by teachers, counselors, and parents. Each grade level has instructional activities that align directly with the Utah State Core. This instructional resource provides a framework for teachers, counselors, and parents to integrate career awareness with the elementary and middle level grade students.

Career Information Web Sites

Some web sites provide excellent career information. Some web sites list facts about job tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, and more.

Resource Three: Career Voyages

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education

The Career Voyages web site is a Career Exploration web site for Elementary School students. The Career Voyages web site has information about the following industries:

Advanced Manufacturing

Automotive

Construction

Energy

Financial Services

Health Care

Hospitality

Information Technology

Retail

Transportation

Aerospace and the "BioGeoNano" Technologies

Resource Four: Career Ship

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Ship is a free online career exploration tool for middle and high school students.
Career Ship uses Holland Codes and the O*NET Career Exploration Tools. For each career, Career Ship provides the following information:

Tasks

Wages

Career outlook

Interests

Education

Knowledge

Skills

Similar careers

Career Ship is a product of Mapping Your Future, a public service web site providing career, college, financial aid, and financial literacy information and services.

RESOURCE FIVE: Career Zone

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Zone is a career exploration and planning system. Career Zone has an assessment activity that identifies Holland Codes. Career Zone provides information on 900 careers from the new O*NET Database, the latest labor market information from the NYS Department of Labor and interactive career portfolios for middle and high school students that connect to the NYS Education Department Career Plan initiative. Career Zone has links to college exploration and planning resources, 300 career videos, resume builder, reference list maker, and cover letter application.

Resource Six: Destination 2020

Source: Canada Career Consortium

Destination 2020 helps youth discover how everyday tasks can help them build skills they will need to face the many challenges of the workforce.

Skills are linked to:

School Subjects

Other School Activities

Play Activities At Home

Work at Home

Through quizzes, activities and articles, they might actually find some answers or, at least, a direction about their future. There are more than 200 profiles of real people who are describing what a day at work is like for them.

Resource Seven: What Do You Like

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do You Like is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Career web site for kids. The web site provides career information for students in Grades 4 to 8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the material on the site has been adapted from the Bureau's Occupational Outlook Handbook,a career guidance publication for adults and upper level high school students that describes the job duties, working conditions, training requirements, earnings levels, and employment prospects of hundreds of occupations. Careers are matched to interests and hobbies. In the Teacher's Guide, there are twelve categories and their corresponding occupations.

Science Career Clusters

Some organizations have created web sites that feature science careers.

Resource Eight: EEK! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Eek! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids is an electronic magazine for kids in grades 4 to 8. Eek! Get a Job provides information about:

Forestry

Hydrogeologist

Engineering

Herpetologist

Park Ranger

Wildlife Biologist

Park Naturalist

There is a job description for each career, a list of job activities, suggested activities to begin exploring careers, and needed job skills.

Resource Nine: GetTech

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, Center for Workforce Success, U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S Department of Labor

Get Tech is a educational web site that provides CAREER EXPLORATION information.
Get Tech has information about the following industries:

New Manufacturing

Information Technology

Engineering and Industrial Technology

Biotechnology and Chemistry

Health and Medicine

Arts & Design

Within each area, there are examples of careers.

Each career profile gives:

General description

Salary

Number of people employed to job

Number of jobs available in the future

Place of work

Level of education required

Location of training programs: University Pharmacy Programs.

Courses needed

There is a Get Tech Teacher's Guide.

Resource Ten: LifeWorks

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Science Education

LifeWorks is a career exploration web site for middle and high school students. LifeWorks has information on more than 100 medical science and health careers. For each career, LifeWorks has the following information:

Title

Education required

Interest area

Median salary

True stories of people who do the different jobs

LifeWorks has a Career Finder that allows you to search by Name of Job, Interest Area, Education Required, or Salary.

Resource Eleven: San Diego Zoo Job Profiles for Kids

Source: San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo Job Profiles discussed jobs for people who:

Work with animals

Work with plants

Work with science and conservation

Work with people

Work that helps run the Zoo and Park

There are activities listed under each area, for example:

What we do

What is cool about this job

Job challenges

How this job helps animals

How to get a job like this

Practice Being a ...

How to Become a ...

Resource Twelve: Scientists in Action!

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior

Scientists in Action features summaries of the lives of people involved in careers in the natural sciences:

Mapping the planets

Sampling the ocean floor

Protecting wildlife

Forecasting volcanic eruptions

Resource Twelve: Want To Be a Scientist?

Source: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of the Agriculture

Want To Be a Scientist is a career exploration web site for kids about 8 to 13 years old. Want To Be a Scientist has a series of job descriptions, stories, and other resources about what scientists do here at the ARS.

These stories include information about:

Plant Pathologist

Chemist

Soil Scientist

Entomologist

Animal Scientist

Microscopist

Plant Physiologist

Specific Science Careers

The last group of web sites is dedicated to providing information on specific science careers, for example veterinarians,

Resource Thirteen: About Veterinarians

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

About Veterinarians has facts about:

What is a Veterinarian?

Becoming a Veterinarian

Making a Career Decision

What Personal Abilities Does a Veterinarian Need?

What Are the Pluses and Minuses of a Veterinary Career?

Veterinary Education

General Information

After Graduation From Veterinary School

General Information

School Statistics

Preparation Advice

Preveterinary Coursework

Where Most Schools Are Located

About School Accreditation

The Phases of Professional Study

The Clinical Curriculum

The Academic Experience

Roles of Veterinarians

Private Practice

Teaching and Research

Regulatory Medicine

Public Health

Uniformed Services

Private Industry

Employment Outlook

Employment Forecast

The Advantage of Specializing

Statistics

Greatest Potential Growth Areas

Other Professional Directions

AVMA Veterinary Career Center

Becoming a Veterinary Technician

Your Career in Veterinary Technology

Duties and Responsibilities

Career Opportunities

Education Required

Distance Learning

Salary

Professional Regulations

Organizations

Further Information

Resource Fourteen: Aquarium Careers

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Aquarium Careers features careers information. For each Staff Profiles, there is Educational Background and Skills Needed. The Staff Profiles include:

Aquarist

Education Specialist

Exhibits Coordinator

Exhibit Designer

Research Biologist

Science Writer

The Aquarium Careers web site answers the following questions:

What should I do now to prepare for a career in marine biology?

Where can I find a good college for marine biology?

What should be my college major?

How do I pick a graduate school?

I'm not sure of my area of interest. What should I do?

Marine Science Career Resources include information on:

Marine Advanced Technology Education

Marine Mammal Center, California

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

Scripps Library

Sea Grant

Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Resource Fifteen: Engineering The Stealth Profession

Source: Discover Engineering

Engineering The Stealth Profession has a lot of information about engineers:

Types of Engineers

Aerospace Engineering

Ceramic/Materials Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Electrical/Computer Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Other Engineers

True Stories

Salaries

Education Required

Work Schedules

Equipment Used

Resource Sixteen: Sea Grant Marine Careers

Source: Marine Careers

Sea Grant Marine Careers gives you facts about marine career fields and to people working in those fields. Sea Grant Marine Careers outlines information on:

Marine Biology

Oceanography

Ocean Engineering

Related Fields

In each area, there is a detailed description of the type of the work that the scientists do. There are feature stories for different scientists in the career field.

The career profiles include information on:

What is your current job and what does it entail?

What was the key factor in your career decision?

What do you like most about your career?

What do you like least about your career?

What do you do to relax?

Who are your heroes/heroines?

What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in your field?

Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?

What will you be doing 10 years from today?

What is the salary range?

Resource Seventeen: Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist?

Source: Volcano World

Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist? provides the following descriptions:

The Word Volcanologist

Daily work

Traits for success

Education

Salaries

Career web sites help you build awareness of the different aspects of careers: the tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, knowledge, and skills. We know that you will be fun exploring careers.

Dr Mary Askew

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Tips For Getting a Pharmacy Technician Certification

There are many lucrative careers that people can study for an benefit from in the long run. Becoming a pharmacy technician offers a lot of excellent job outlets that the right professional will be able to apply for and take part in. In order to get a hold of this particular job, these tips are needed in order to get the top amount of information. Get started right now and soon, the right pharmacy technician job will be right around the corner.

The right school needs to be chosen ahead of time. This is a research step that must not go missed; otherwise it will be very hard to get the right education. Take the time to look for colleges within the local area that offer a program for pharmacy technician. This is going to be a great place to start and will enable students to get a feel for the program that is offered.

Online learning is also a great way to get the right degree in this particular job field. Be sure to understand what is involved with these online courses. Some feel they would do best because they can learn when they want. But assignments must be done and turned in on time. Be sure that enough time is set aside enough time within that busy schedule to make sure that the courses, and exams can be taken on time.

When going through the course, be sure to take advantage of any internship that may come along. These opportunities are often offered to the students who score the highest within the class. Students who are approved for these internships will be able to work side by side with an actual pharmacy technician to get an idea of what the job is going to be like on a daily basis.

Once the degree has been earned, a pharmacy technician should begin looking for the right amount of work. Drug stores often hire technicians as well as pharmacies within hospitals. There are so many excellent job opportunities that the right licensed pharmacy technician can take advantage of. Do local job searches to find out where the top jobs are. Some colleges also have career services that help students who graduate get the job that they want.

Every pharmacy technician that goes through a program needs to acquire the right licensing. This licensing will be proof that the technician has the skills and everything needed to do the most effective job. The program or college that is used will help all students get the licensing that they need to get started as soon as possible. This license is a must in order to find the best job.

Once the right job has been found, any technician will be able to make a great amount of money. There are so many lucrative job offers across the country that can easily help any licensed individual get set up and ready to go. Look up the yearly salary in order to find the amount that can be earned locally.

Becoming a pharmacy technician is not hard at all. Once the right school has been chosen get started and dive into those books. This is going to help set anyone ahead. Research a couple of schools and make sure to choose the top rated one within the area.

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How to Get Medical Jobs - Requirements and Career Path of the Occupational Therapist

Many people interested in a medical career are often not aware of the field of Occupational Therapy. A career as an Occupational Therapist is both personally and financially rewarding. Occupational Therapists help patients with a wide number of conditions that include developmental disabilities, training patients with permanent disabilities to utilize adaptive equipment, motor skills rehabilitation, repair short term memory loss, improving decision making, as well as creating and implementing rehabilitation plans and evaluating a patient's progress. Basically, Occupational Therapy is a type of therapy that helps people return to their previous occupations.

Education

To become an Occupational Therapist, one needs to complete a university undergraduate degree in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree program. The undergraduate degree usually takes four years and then one must obtain a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy. Occupational therapy courses include biology, physical, and behavioral sciences. Examples of specific classes include anatomy, kinesiology, developmental psychology, pathology, neurology, geriatrics, pediatrics..etc. There are also occupational therapy skills and theory courses. Included in the program is a 6 month work term. Occupational Therapy students must pass national and state examinations. Those who pass the exam are awarded the title, "Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR)." Some states have additional stipulations for therapists who work in such areas as schools or early intervention programs. These requirements can include an early intervention certification, an education practice certificate, or other education classes.

Occupational therapists are expected to continue their professional education by taking continuing education classes and workshops. In fact, a number of states stipulate continuing education as a requirement of maintaining licensure.

For those interested in a career in Occupational Therapy, taking high school courses in the sciences, physics, health, and social sciences, is recommended. Work experience, either paid or volunteer, is a highly valuable asset.

Occupational Therapy Jobs

Occupational therapists work in a wide variety of areas of the medical profession. They can work in schools, hospitals, children's hospitals, home health, rehabilitation facilities, children's clinics, nursing homes, home care, out-patient care, private practices, health boards, community mental health centers, clinics, halfway houses, groups homes, vocational programs, community action groups, and workers compensation boards.

They can also be found working as consultants for businesses, organizations, and governments. Government work can be in the areas of rehabilitation program development, health awareness and programs, disability prevention and management, accessibility, and vocational and health planning.

Occupational therapists are also finding employment as teachers in undergraduate and graduate health profession programs

Job Outlook

Employment opportunities are expected to increase, especially for therapists who treat the elderly. They are also increasingly taking on more supervisory roles. Changing societal needs have caused an increased demand for Occupational Therapists. Some of these changes include:

- An increase in accident survival

- Increased disability awareness

- Aging population.

- Increase in stress, mental health issues, and personal and family issues

- Increase in public awareness about health issues

To be an Occupational Therapist, one needs to be patient, able to motivate others, be creative, and have strong interpersonal skills. Due to its wide variety of career options, people who become Occupational Therapists will find an area that is both rewarding and satisfying.

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Medical Interviews - Top Tips to Succeeding at the ST Interview

STRUCTURE OF THE ST INTERVIEW

ST interviews normally last 30 to 40 minutes and are made up of three or four stations, each with a different theme. The exact duration, the number of stations and the themes will depend on each specialty, but are usually 10-12-minute long. Note that, as always, there are exceptions as some candidates have had interviews that included one single 30-minute station (more or less alongside the format of the "old" SHO or SpR interviews).

The type of stations vary from specialty to specialty, and in fact also from deanery to deanery. For example, some anaesthetics candidates in London have had almost exclusively clinical scenarios, whereas in Manchester the interviews were more balanced.

Globally speaking you are likely to have three or four stations taken from the following types:

Clinical station

This normally includes a range of clinical scenarios (e.g. emergencies) that you would normally be expected to handle. Some of the scenarios are straight forward, but others may be stretching you a little (i.e. you may not have met such situations in the past, but the interviewers would expect you to have a good educated guess).

Practical station

In some specialties, candidates may be asked to demonstrate practical procedures (e.g. intubating a dummy in anaesthesia, or suturing a tomato in ophthalmology). There is absolutely nothing that you can do to prepare for this station. Either you know or you don't. Practical stations tend to be reserved for surgery-related specialties.

General, Motivation & Teaching station

A number of deaneries and specialties have stations that are designated for generic questions. These tend to relate to your interest in the specialty and the deanery, together with your career plans and the manner in which you have developed your interest in the specialty. Usually the general station also deals with teaching skills.

Academic & Clinical Governance station

Most interviews will have an academic station. In some interviews, there can actually be two academic stations (e.g. one specifically on Research and Audit, and another one on other topics such as Teaching and Risk Management.

Academic stations take the form of a traditional question and answer session. For example you may be asked to talk about your most interesting audit. The interviewers will then dig into the detail of your experience e.g. how you selected the standard, what you role was, what changed as a result, etc.

Other questions will include your experience of Research, what you understand about research principles, questions on the importance of Research etc. Such questions can be daunting at first, but if you are well prepared, you can really shine.

Critical Appraisal station

In several specialties (e.g. ophthalmology, general surgery), candidates have been asked to critically appraise a paper, at all ST levels, including ST1.

Preparation time varied between 20 and 40 minutes, followed by a 5 to 10 minute presentation. As part of a critical appraisal station, you are expected to demonstrate an understanding of how critical appraisals should be approached and you should also be able to answer any questions that the interviewers have on the paper that you have just read. This could include questions of a clinical nature, based on the topic being discussed; it also often includes questions on research principles such as "What is a p-value?" or "What are the ethical issues involved in this paper?".

Experience of research is a definite advantage to succeed in this station. Having said that, attendance at journal clubs is also a good way of preparing yourself for it, particularly at the lower ST grades.

Role Play

In some specialties, role play has been introduced. Role play was already an integral part of SpR interviews for some specialties such as Obs & Gynae but it has been extended to other specialties in some of the deaneries, including psychiatry (e.g. dealing with a father who wants some news on his over-18 admitted daughter), ophthalmology (e.g. breaking bad news and counselling a patient on glaucoma) and several others.

In many ways, role-play stations are similar to those used for the recruitment of GP trainees. Their main aim is not to test your clinical skills & knowledge (this is achieved in others ways in proper clinical stations) but to test your approach towards patients and your communication skills. The clinical content of the role play section is therefore limited as they concentrate instead on your empathy, your listening skills, your ability to summarise information in a simple language, your ability to deal with anger and conflict calmly and sensibly, and your ability to build a rapport with a patient in sometimes difficult circumstances.

The role play stations usually include actors who have been briefed accordingly. Having said that, the role is sometimes played by an interviewer. There have been occasions where role-play was introduced unexpectedly in a normal clinical station, or an ethics station. The station would start normally with a few general question such as "How would you deal with a patient who ...". Half-way through the station one of the interviewers will tell you that he is now the patient and that he wants you to act your answer out. This can be somewhat disconcerting and you should therefore be prepared for the worst, even if you have not explicitly been told that you will have a role play station.

Group discussion station

Very few specialties have used this type of stations and to our knowledge, this has primarily be done in Psychiatry in the north of England.

Group discussions' primary concern is to test your interaction with others and not so much your clinical knowledge, although an understanding of your specialty and its surrounding NHS context is obviously important. Interviewers/observers are testing the manner with which you influence other members of the group and how you actively engage in finding a solution to a given problem within the constraints imposed by the behaviours and personalities of the other members of the groups.

Each group is made up of four to six candidates and the discussion topics range from the handling of a difficult case, to an ethical problem, to a current issue.

WHAT IS A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW?

The phrase "structured interview" scares many candidates off but has in fact a simple non-scary meaning. They are opposed to "unstructured interviews".

Unstructured interviews are standard interviews where the interviewer may ask you various questions about yourself and your interests to assess whether or not you would fit into the post. There may be no specific order to the questions. An unstructured interview may seem like quite an informal chat. In unstructured interviews the decision to recruit is taken on a feeling that the interviewers have about you as opposed to a rigid marking system. Unstructured interviews still take place in some NHS trusts but mostly at Consultant level. In an age of equality, fairness and bureaucracy, most NHS Trusts have adopted the more complex but seemingly fairer and more open structured interview process.

Structured interviews are based around specific criteria that the interviewers are aiming to assess through your answers. Each interviewer will have a list of these criteria and questions will have been derived to ensure that all the criteria can be assessed through the interview. At the end of the interview each interviewer will hand in his scores and the candidates will be ranked. Higher ranked candidates are therefore more likely to get their preferred choice of post. This system has the advantage of being more transparent as it does not rely so much on "feeling" but it can also be quite rigid. In particular, the final decision relies heavily on your performance on the day of the interview, which, everyone knows, may not necessarily mean that the best doctor is being recruited.

THE MYTHS ABOUT ST STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

MYTH: ST structured interviews are interviews where they ask for examples only

Interviews where they only ask for examples are called "behavioural interviews". All the word "structured" means is that they are asking questions that are specifically designed to test specific skills and competencies.

MYTH: Everyone gets the same questions

Although it is correct that everyone gets the same opening questions for each skill, interviewers are allowed to deviate during probing and follow-up. The probing or follow-up questions will be based on your answer to the opening question. This allows the interviewers to prove appropriately into your background whilst ensuring that everyone has the chance to address the same topics in a similar manner.

MYTH: ST structured interviews are an objective way of recruiting candidates

Structured interviews introduce an element of fairness in the interview process because they remove part of the "He looks nice and friendly so I will give him a job" approach. They are designed to ensure that competencies are tested in a quasi-systematic manner. However they are not totally objective. For example, some of the criteria are still fairly vague (e.g. "the candidate handles conflicts tactfully"). Different interviewers may have a different idea of how tactul and/or pushy you should be. So, although it is fair to say that structured interviews are fairer than others in several ways, they are not totally objective. In addition, interviewers can always fiddle the marks to suit the candidates that they prefer...

MYTH: Structured interviews are a new system introduced by MMC / MTAS in 2007

Structured interviews have been in place for a long time at SpR level in the NHS. In fact, in several specialties there have been OSCE structured interviews around for a long time (e.g. O&G). What has changed is the far more comprehensive marking schedule that was introduced by MTAS. But the principles, and the preparation required to be successful, remain the same as before.

ST INTERVIEW TIPS

TIP 1: Prepare effectively

Many candidates either under-prepare or over-prepare for their medical ST interviews.

Most people also prepare in the wrong way.

* Under-preparation: Being under-prepared is often the result of the misconception that, because interviewers can ask so many different questions, it is very difficult to prepare for anything. As a result, answers become disorganised, contradictory and lengthy, the candidate loses his/her way in unnecessary details and misses out crucial opportunities to put across his/her skills in a positive light. Other candidates also wake up too late or leave it until they get short-listed to start thinking about their interview. In many cases, it is too late.

* Over-preparation: Over-preparation often combines with poor strategy and results in candidates rehearsing answers until they are perfect. People who make this mistake are easily thrown off balance by questions they have not prepared; the answers they give sometimes also do not quite match the question asked. Generally, they come across as bad listeners and are unable to deviate from their prepared answers.

* Wrong preparation: Many candidates believe that preparing for an interview consists principally in taking a list of hundreds of questions and testing their ability to come up with "something" quickly. Rehearsing answers to many questions is the final step of the process, where you pull together all the elements that you have gained during your preparation. Think about it: the first day you learnt to take blood, you didn't do it 100 times in 10 minutes... Similarly, don't try to answer 100 questions in 10 minutes as it will only result in making you sound vague on the day.

What is the right preparation for a medical interview?

* Spend time on your CV: First you should spend some time looking at your experience and your CV. The best candidates are those who are able to provide personal answers. This is only possible if you know what you have achieved. Aside from that, it is embarrassing to be asked a question on your CV and not be able to answer it.

* Spend the time to know yourself: Many questions relate to your ability to exercise one skill or another. Some of these questions are so common that there is no excuse for you not to have an answer. Interviewers can sometimes be unforgiving. Many candidates would not be able to answer personal questions if they were being questioned by their own friends in a relaxed environment. If you cannot explain what makes you a good communicator in your living room, in 5 minutes, when your best friend asks you about it, you cannot expect to be able to answer that question under pressure, in 2 minutes, with several people staring at you. Think about what you are good at and what makes you good at it; think about examples of situation where these strengths have had a strong impact, etc. The more thinking you do beforehand, the less thinking you will need to do on the day.

* Spend time looking at key questions: There is little value in looking at hundreds of questions too early. You will only perpetuate your mistakes and will not teach yourself to think about the question and its different angles. Instead, if you have time, try to pick one theme per day (research, teaching, confidentiality, etc) and look at different questions that relate to that theme. You will learn to look at the same information in different ways and you will teach your brain to make the connections that will enable you to think laterally at an interview. You should spend at least 5 minutes on each question, taking the time to derive good content and to organise your thoughts. Our courses are specifically designed to help you in this process by giving you the tools and the direction you need, which makes you save time in your preparation. Our experience shows that, on average, successful candidates spend 15 to 20 hours preparing for their interview.

* Practise: Only once you have done this preparation should you practice your answers someone else, or by talking to your mirror/walls. Doing it too early will only serve in either giving you a false sense of security or in making you panic depending on how confident you are.

TIP 2: Do not assume that standard answers WILL make you SUCCEED

Many candidates believe that by regurgitating a ready-made answer, they will get the job. This is a myth. You should not believe anyone (including some senior doctors) who tell you that you will get the job by learning a standard answer. What will really make the difference is the personal style that you adopt in formulating them and how you back up your claims with relevant and well developed examples. This is also what makes our coaching so successful and so different. We work with you to extract the right information at the right level of personalisation. Your answer must be UNIQUE, not the same as hundreds of others.

TIP 3: Do not try to be different by being weird

Many candidates believe that they need to be different to stand out. This makes them scared of addressing some questions and they live in fear of sounding boring. As a result they try to be clever and to find "unusual answers". This is a dangerous game. What makes you stand out is not the fact that the content of your answer is wildly different to your competitors' answers, but the manner in which you express and back up good ideas, and the confidence that you have in your delivery and in your opinions. ST interviews (whether you are applying for ST1, ST2, ST3 or ST4) are not about being original; they are about being all-rounded.

TIP 4: Organise your answers

Many candidates' answers are made up of a long list of ideas, most of which are irrelevant or not backed up. There is no point putting across 20 ideas if the average human being can only remember 3 or 4 ideas at a time. You will just drown your interviewers in a mass of information they can't digest. As a result they will either lose interest and start looking through the window, or they will get a headache trying to make sense of it all. Put yourself in their shoes! They have been sitting there listening to the same old answers from everyone. Make their job easy, don't make them think too much, organise the information for them. In our experience, those who get the jobs are not those who have an absolutely flawless content in their answers. They are those who have a good structure and make them personal, even if they only have 70% of the expected content.

TIP 5: be personal

For each question, there are a number of points that can be raised. Most people who have prepared will automatically come up with these points and, in order to make a difference, you will need to personalise your answers otherwise you will sound the same as everyone else. Depending on the question that you have been asked, this can be achieved in different ways.

If the question is about your interpersonal skills, try to bring in a few examples that

demonstrate your experience. For example when discussing team playing, describe

situations where you gained experience of team work. You should not go into too much detail but be specific enough to be credible.

Steer clear of definitions and grand statements. An interview is a conversation, not a speech or a verbal essay. You need to appear natural and confident in what you say. Do not be scared of expressing your ideas in your own words. For example, when is the last time you used the word "flourish" at home or at work? So why insist in using it in your description of Clinical Governance? Too many people try to explain simple ideas using pompous words because they feel it makes them sound better. In reality it makes them sound vague, theoretical and, sometimes, confused ... the interviewers are confused too.

Don't be afraid of expressing how you feel, what you liked, why you enjoyed it, etc. They want to recruit human beings, not clones. Also, talking about feelings helps being out your enthusiasm and passion for what you do. No one has ever sounded passionate talking about.

TIP 6: Stop obsessing about your body language

There is little point in worrying about how you cross you fingers or your legs if what comes out of your mouth makes no sense. Body language is not part of the marking sheet interviewers have. In fact most people will ignore your body language unless it is really bad, in which case it most probably means that you have very little confidence and therefore that your answers are also very bad.

Most people have a normal body language and interviewers will make allowances for the fact that you are a bit nervous. If you spend the time preparing well for your interview, you will gain much more confidence in yourself and your body language will follow naturally. The more you think about your body, the less you are able to think about your answers.

TIP 7: Do not spend month learning about the minutia of NHS issues

There is always a danger in knowing too much about one subject: they can ask you for more detail until you fall on your own sword. At our last count, there were over 95 possible NHS issues you could be asked at an interview. Even if you spend just 20 minutes on each, it would still take you over 30 hours of work. And that's just for the basics.

Instead concentrate and spend some proper time on 5 or 6 key issues of importance either because they are of actuality or because they are of close concern to your specialty. But do not confine yourself to learning the basic facts otherwise you will go back to the realm of ready-made answers. At ST interviews, you will be expected to show an understanding of the issue but also of it consequences and practical applications. So spend your time wisely by discussing the issues with colleagues and debating them. You will then start thinking about those issues in different ways and will gain a personal understanding of them that will enable you to discuss them freely at a medical interview.

Olivier Picard 

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Work From Home For Women - Jump Start the Search!

Despite economic downturns, employers are starting to hear "I quit!" more frequently. Oddly enough, in more cases (not nearly enough) but purportedly more, hearing "You're fired!" isn't as much a doomsday statement as it used to be.

The work force is understanding that lifetime connection with a company may not be typical or even possible today. Grandpa's gold watch may have to come from Grandpa himself, and not be earned anew following Grandpa's footsteps no matter how powerful a role model he was.

How to beat the company's hatchet? Act now and start supplementing your income. If you decide to keep your day job, you will have more earning power. If you decide to quit that day job, you will have more earning power.

Here are some ideas to get you started in finding work from home for women:

• Google is your best friend. Type in a simple word search for your areas of interest and gradually narrow your results. Read reviews of the business under consideration and make personal inquiries as much as possible. Find the key players who can answer your questions and consider their responses carefully.

• Find out about local business networks and meetings and go! Don't be shy; it is fine to listen at first. Frequently, there are many others like you attending. Even if you don't find your 'perfect' business solution, you may start to build a supportive network that will yield referrals and other assistance later.

• Visit CraigsList.com. Craig'sList can be a treasure trove about the local buzz, categorized to list skills that may apply to you specifically. Often start-up opportunities listed there can build into something bigger. Try a simple outsource option that interests you and look at it as an investment in and of yourself in your new venture.

• Don't forget the local Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce. These associations can not only give you additional leads, they register complaints or quality ratings about a particular business that can save you time and energy in your search.

• Check out online forums dedicated to offering work from home for women. You can participate easily by simply having solid questions to ask other participants. Unexpected results may well follow.

All of these are way more fun than writing a resume. You get to control the 'job' interview. Perhaps for the first--and last--time you will be sitting on both the hiring and deciding side of the desk! Women can find work from home by hiring themselves!

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