Online job application tips

People now have more ways to be aware of job listings and send their applications. It used to be only via newspapers listings, job fairs, and radio or TV advertisements and through referrals on how people would know of which companies have openings, and of course “walking in”. People would then have to send their hard copies of their resumes via mail, by the referrer or by bringing it personally. Those still work in finding and applying for a job but nowadays, people do it online.

There are now a lot of online job listings you can visit such as theLadders, Glassdoor, and so much more out there (some are specific depending on which country you are in. Creating an account with them includes the creation of your profile which is the same as resume and you can add keywords or the industries you are interested in and you can get notified when there are openings for positions relevant to those you included in your profile. Searching for jobs are also easy with those job listing sites as most of them allows you to choose the fields – including the industry, the position and even the salary range where you want to be.

Aside from online job listings and applications, students can even train online nowadays. Sites such as Meditec or 360training provides career training programs for different industries and interests and they also provide grants and financing even for military personnel or spouses. Although it is easier now to train and find a job via online websites, here are a couple more tips to help you in applying for jobs online.

1. Create your online profile professionally – this is not just limited to the profile you have on the job listing site you are going to be using but you should also have a good LinkedIn profile and you should clean up your social media profile (Google+, Twitter, or Face book) as some employers checks out applicants social media profile as well.
2. Submit one profile per company – yes you may take advantage of several job listing sites and have multiple profiles with them but only submit one profile. You don’t want the recruiters to be confused and if there are multiple teams in their department, you wouldn’t want to be contacted twice or thrice. Submitting multiple applications via different sites will not increase your chances of getting hired – one application is enough.
3. Take advantage of technology but always double check – you can take advantage of things like spell and grammar checker when creating your profile and answering online application forms but make sure that you double check everything. You wouldn’t want an employer to see an application form with too many errors as it may end up being neglected and since most employers keep a record of applicant’s data, a possible job or partnership in the future with that same company may become unclear because of the past data you have with them.
4. Always research and be informed – especially for newly grads, finding openings for a position you desire does not mean you should immediately submit your resume. You should take time to research about the position and study the company or organization. Always understand the job description and make sure that you can actually deliver what is being asked of the applicant. Before sending your application form, review your CV and be sure that what you have matches what they are searching for.
5. Be prepared – always have a soft copy of a letter head and resume as aside from the application form and the online profile, most employers will ask for a soft copy of those files. Aside from that, most applicants are contacted through via phone call so always be prepared for the phone interview – answer their questions correctly and honestly and ask questions especially when an actual interview is requested.
6. Always review your application form – don’t just send a blast of application forms to different employers. Each application should be customized in a way that you answer all the questions they ask and that you provide all the details that can show them that you are the right one for the job. Of course, before sending the application out, review what you have written in the form for any mistakes or any fields you missed to fill out.

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Salary Negotiations

Applicants don’t just prepare for the tough questions such as “what’s your weakness and strengths”, “why should we hire you”, “why are you leaving your present company” and many more but they also prepare for the job offer and specially the salary negotiations.

Job offers and salary negotiations are probably my favorite part of a job interview as it means you are being welcomed to the company but there is just one issue on how much they will be paying you. Salary negotiations can get quite tricky for some applicants so we have prepared a couple of tips for them.

1.    Always do your homework – some companies post job listings that include the “salary” for the open position so before applying for a job, be sure that you have checked if they have a primary offer. Aside from that, be sure to research about the “benchmark” pay for the position you are applying for – this includes average salaries of the same position a. with other companies, b. in your location and c. your level of experience and education. Salary negotiations will happen so come prepared as you wouldn’t want to be off guard which can make you either get very low salary or not get the job at all because of the lack of information regarding the industry.

2.    Don’t always say yes – it’s a negotiation so you don’t always have to say yes especially for just the first offer. You have to prove to them why you need to earn a specific number and why you are worth that much. Don’t be afraid to ask for a number or a range especially if this is the actual salary that you need (to pay for day over day expense, save money, transportation, etc.)

3.    Be realistic – one of the things you should not do is to lie about your past salary history to get more offer. Although companies do not verify the your salary history with your past employers, they have the capability to judge and measure how much a certain company is paying for certain positions and the specific tasks they do. Another thing you should know is that you should be realistic about the salary if you are going to give them a range. Do not give them a range wherein the lowest range is something that is unacceptable to you – do not be surprised if you are offered the lowest range because you declared that it is something that you can accept.

4.    Check other benefits – you have to be aware of the other benefits they provide the company as salary is just one of them. You have to consider factors such as healthcare, retirement plan, performance pay, increases, and others. You wouldn’t want a job that pays well but has no good benefit and will just make you end up working in a miserable place.

Relevant resources:
http://www.meditec.com/blog/riddle-me-this-interview-questions-you-should-know-about/
http://career-advice.monster.com/salary-benefits/negotiation-tips/job-offer-evaluation-checklist/article.aspx
http://www.wikihow.com/Switch-Careers

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2014 Career missteps to avoid

Times have definitely changed – technology has improved so much that it has been making our lives extra comfortable and accessible. Career wise, there are also a lot of changes. There are now more “new” careers, businesses are growing and companies are getting bigger. Professionals that have made it big in their industries know the ins and outs of the game and they also know that there are certain mistakes to avoid.

You may have read about career missteps to avoid before (such as quitting your job without a plan, take a job you don’t like, take too much risk like invest money you don’t have, etc.), but check out the list of new missteps to avoid below:

Not understanding the possible consequences of online presence – sure it’s fun to share images, videos and your thoughts online but if you do not set your privacy settings right and you went on with an irresponsible tirade about your company or someone you work with, or if you shared a video of you out partying when you have called in sick that same day, well, that may back fire on you. Websites such as Linkedin is like your online resume and once you are in a network, some of your updates may be sent to those connected to you and if you disclose some confidential matters in your profile or if you keep on sending signals (about maybe quitting your job), your employers can find that easily and you can even get the boot for it.

Some people like to do "selfies" but some people likes to record or take images or other people – you can’t stop people from having fun in and especially out of the office with their other colleagues and there are things that you cannot really stop (even with policies and guidelines) such as office romance, drunk employees at office events/parties: and with a lot of people owning a Smartphone nowadays, it won’t be long before an image or a video of you can go viral online and be something that can hunt you for a long time.

Not recognizing culture and diversity in the workplace – companies and businesses grows and as they expand, they will hire people from different culture, race, age, gender, religious, etc. section. Some of the missteps that even contribute to the failure of the whole organization is not valuing diversity in the workplace. Poor workplace diversity management can lead to conflicts, miscommunication, delays, and even lawsuits. 

Resources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2012/01/19/the-worst-career-blunder-you-can-make/
http://www.tlnt.com/2013/04/08/hiring-wisdom-top-10-ways-to-guarantee-your-best-people-will-quit/
http://www.meditec.com/blog/career-mistakes-to-learn-from/

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What is 1-BP and How Does it Affect Your Health?

1-BP, or 1-bromapopane is a type of solvent used for a number or commercial and industrial products such as dry cleaning products, degreasing solutions, adhesive sprays and aerosol sprays, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Health Consequences of Occupational Exposure to 1-BP

Long-term occupational exposure to 1-B can cause irritation of the eyes, mucus membranes, airways, and skin. It also affects the nervous system and causes a person to experience headaches, dizziness, confusion, and numbness of extremities. According to the National Institute of Health, National Toxicology Program studies reveal that 1-BP could be a possible human carcinogenic. 

What about PELs?

The higher the concentration of 1-BP in the air and the longer workers get exposed to it, the more severe the health consequences are. Unfortunately, OSHA does not have an established permissible exposure limit (PEL) for 1-BP exposure. The agency, however, recognizes the shortcomings of its dated PELs (or lack thereof) and prescribes recommended PELs that regional OSHAs and organizations like the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) are observing to employers. 

How Can Exposure to 1-BP be Prevented?

Occupational exposure to 1-BP can be regulated through elimination or substitution, by implementing engineering and administrative controls and through the use of personal protective equipment, according to OSHA’s Hazard Alert. 

Eliminating the hazard or substituting it with a lesser toxic material can effectively reduce workers’ occupational exposure to it. An example of hazard substitution is replacing 1-BP based adhesives with water-based or acetone-based ones. 

Engineering controls involve reducing the contaminant through isolation (i.e. isolating machines that use 1-BP from work areas), ventilation (i.e. using exhausts), and conducting regular machine inspections. 

Administrative controls, on the other hand, are implemented work policies that employees have to observe to keep themselves from getting exposed to 1-BP. Controls include reducing the length of time workers are exposed to 1-BP; keeping 1-BP containers sealed at all times; and shortening drying periods during dry cleaning operations. 

Finally, the use of personal protective equipment as a first line of defense against occupational exposure, or at a time when administrative or engineering controls are still being set up or designed is also an effective means of reducing occupational exposure to 1-BP. PPEs include NIOSH-approved air-purifying respirators, which are compliant of the requirements of the 29 CFR 1910.134; and the use of protective clothing to completely prevent or limit contact with 1-BP. (As mentioned earlier, 1-BP can also be absorbed by the body through the skin.)

Recognizing the hazards of 1-BP and the proper usage of personal protective equipment is one of the topics covered by an OSHA 30 course. Make sure you get your training prior to entering the worksite.

           

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Meditec Wants You to Share the Love this February

There’s always a way and reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day. No, we’re not talking about buying your significant other a rose, card or iPad. And no, we’re definitely not taking her (or him) out for a candlelight dinner or out in the wild (whatever floats your boat). We’re talking about stripping down to your undies for a good cause! So drop those paperworks on your desk, forget about hitting the numbers, and have some fun (we know Valentine’s Day falls on a workday); join Cupid’s Undie Run for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and celebrate Valentine’s Day differently for a change. 

We’ll also be supporting the cause by donating 10 percent of our sales to the foundation. And as a means of expressing our love and thanks, we will also be taking 10 percent off our courses for students who will be enrolling in our courses from here on to March 15, 2014. If you’re availing one of our courses, then just key in CUPID 2014 for the promo code before checking your cart out. We’ll honor your ten percent discount when we process your payment.

The Cupid’s Undie Run has raised over $1.3 million in donations in 2013. This year’s goal is $3 million.

Make a difference and support a good cause this coming love month! Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Meditec!

Meditec's with Cupid! - 360training

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