Teaming up to serve the underserved

Nursing partnership benefits urban residents.

By Carrie Stetler

​Cindy Sickora, DNP, RN, makes sure that every weekday, the Rutgers School of Nursing’s health care van is there to help the people who need it. Its patients, mostly from Newark, New Jersey, USA, are elderly residents in buildings without elevators, gunshot victims in need of follow-up care, and children booked for vaccines in a city with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the United States.   Many are public housing residents with no health insurance or primary care doctor. Although the traveling clinic treats more than 1,500 patients a year, the city’s need for affordable, accessible health care is overwhelming.    Sickora, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Nursing, part of the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, was searching for a way to reach more people. She found it when she met Suzanne Willard, PhD, RN, APNC, FAAN. Both are members of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI).   Willard had opened FOCUS Wellness Center last year on the other side of Newark. The wellness center is part of the Rutgers College of Nursing, which was founded at the university in 1955. By joining forces, Willard and Sickora hope to accomplish a shared mission: transforming urban health care.   The pair began working together as Rutgers was preparing to integrate with most of the schools, centers, and institutes that made up the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Their new partnership allows the facilities to share resources and serve patients far better than they could on their own. For instance, the center has a social worker on staff for patients with mental health needs. The mobile clinic, which has no social worker, can now refer patients to the center.     “We have the potential to help a whole lot of people,” says Sickora, who directs the School of Nursing’s community health program. “Our mobile clinic can make inroads in educating people to use FOCUS, which could be a health care hub, especially for areas of the city we don’t cover.”     Nurses have a reputation for cutting through red tape and getting things done, says Willard, associate dean of Rutgers College of Nursing’s advanced practice program. “There is a solidarity among nurses.”   The center’s first patient was a referral from Sickora. The mobile clinic staff, which couldn’t provide gynecological exams at the time, sent her to FOCUS. “Cindy said, ‘I’ve got someone who’s had problems accessing services, and your center would be perfect,’” Willard recalls. Days after the visit, mobile care nurses checked in on her at home to make sure her symptoms had subsided.    Newark has one of the most underserved populations for basic health care in the United States. Many residents lack reliable transportation and must take multiple buses to see a primary care doctor, if they have one at all. Some wait days, even weeks, for appointments. Others are prescribed expensive medication they can’t afford.   Studies show that nurse-managed care can be just as effective as physician-administered care, according to Willard and Sickora. Nurse-managed care is especially successful at providing treatment continuity—as well as a personal touch—at a much lower cost. “Our approach is more holistic,” Willard says. “Nurses look at patients and think of their overall ability to improve health outcomes; that’s how we’re wired. We ask, ‘What do I need to do to help them take care of themselves when they leave?’ We want to keep them out of the emergency room.”   The FOCUS Wellness Center, funded with federal and local grants, is designed to meet the multifaceted needs of patients who are often grappling with mental health issues and neighborhoods filled with violence. These issues aggravate conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma that are common throughout inner cities.   Willard recalls one patient who said her father had been murdered when she was 7. “I thought, ‘How can you just treat the physical symptoms with a patient whose father was killed in front of her when she was that young?’ We have a lot of case histories like that,” Willard says.   The nursing school’s mobile clinic is part of a larger network, based on a pioneering health care model, in which residents work closely with nurses, Sickora says. The nerve center of the program is Rutgers’ Jordan and Harris Community Health Center, headquartered at the Hyatt Court public housing complex in Newark. It’s staffed by two nurses who make house calls to shut-ins and serve as liaisons between patients and outside health care providers.   Community health workers in Sickora’s program are trained to pinpoint residents in need, schedule appointments, and coordinate follow-up care. “They knock on doors. They’ll say, ‘We need to make sure the babies get their measles vaccine.’ They’re the reason we’re able to see so many patients,” Sickora says.   She and her staff, which includes nursing students, have worked hard to form relationships with residents, many of whom rely on them to treat chronic conditions.    During a recent physical exam, Andrew Jackson was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Since his Medicaid was cut off last year, he’s made weekly visits for checkups and advice. “They tell me to go slow on the salt,” says Jackson, 42.   No other mobile health care program in the nation, according to Sickora, uses the community health worker model, which she believes can be a valuable source of data for researchers. Two nurse scientists are already involved in evaluating programs.    Says Sickora, “We’re really asking the question: Can we change health care for underserved populations?” RNL   Video   Published 9/19/2013, Vol. 39, No. 3

Intimidation still a problem in health care workplace

Survey reveals patients also victims.

​Recently released survey results from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) show that bullying, intimidation, and other types of disrespectful behavior remain a problem in the health care workplace and continue to erode professional communication, essential to patient safety and quality.   Ten years ago, ISMP conducted a national survey regarding intimidation that indicated disrespectful behaviors were not isolated events. Between July and August 2013, ISMP conducted a similar survey to determine how things have changed in the last decade. The 2013 survey included 4,884 respondents—more than double the number of 2003 participants. Most were nurses (68 percent) or pharmacists (14 percent), but more than 200 physicians and almost 100 quality- and risk-management staff also participated in the survey. Seventy percent had more than 10 years of experience. Following are some highlights of the findings.   The most frequent disrespectful behaviors reported are: Negative comments about colleagues (reported by 73 percent at least once, by 20 percent often) Reluctance or refusal to answer questions or return calls (77 percent at least once, 13 percent often) Condescending language or demeaning comments (68 percent at least once, 15 percent often) Impatience with questions or hanging up the phone (69 percent at least once, 10 percent often) Reluctance to follow safety practices or work collaboratively (66 percent at least once, 13 percent often) Although physical abuse (7 percent); throwing objects (18 percent); insults due to race, religion, or appearance (24 percent); and shaming or humiliation (46 percent) were not encountered frequently by most respondents, nearly a quarter reported that those behaviors were among the top three encountered during the past year.   Who is involved or affected? In both 2003 and 2013, respondents reported that physicians and other prescribers engaged in disrespectful behavior most often; more than half of 2013 respondents said physicians and other prescribers had often (6 percent) or at some time during the year (51 percent) yelled, cursed, or issued verbal threats. However, they also made it clear that it is not just physicians—in many cases, encounters with other health care professionals were nearly as frequent.   Repeated occurrences of disrespectful behavior did not arise from a single individual—36 percent reported that three to five individuals were involved in incidents. The survey also showed that gender of the individual affected has little impact; only minor differences were reported in the frequency with which men and women encountered disrespectful behaviors.   Impact on safety Almost half of the 2013 respondents said their past experiences with intimidation altered the way they handle questions about medication orders. At least once during the year, 33 percent of respondents had concerns but assumed an order was correct rather than interact with an intimidating prescriber. More than one-third asked another professional to talk to a disrespectful prescriber about an order. Eleven percent reported a medication error that occurred primarily due to intimidation. It also appears that 2013 respondents were less satisfied than 2003 respondents with organizational efforts to address the problem. While 70 percent of respondents in 2003 reported that their organization would support them if they reported disrespectful behavior, just 52 percent of the 2013 respondents felt this way.   The results of ISMP’s surveys expose health care’s continued tolerance of disrespectful behavior in the workplace and reveal that little progress has been made in the last decade to eradicate intimidation and bullying. The institute plans to issue recommendations on how health care professionals and organizations can address disrespectful behavior in a future issue of the ISMP Medication Safety Alert! newsletter. RNL   2013 survey findings 2003 survey findings   Published 10/10/2013, Vol. 39, No. 4

Top 10 nursing lessons you’ve learned from your mentors

by Scrubs • October 3, 2013 Career, Featured Articles, Inspiration and Stories

Every single nurse experiences a learning curve, and that transition from nursing student to practicing nurse can be a doozy! That’s why you need someone who will be there with a pat on the back when you’re feeling rotten…and who can give it to you straight when you’re messing up.
A great mentor can be a huge asset for any nurse, so we asked our Facebook fans for the best nursing tip they’ve ever learned from their mentors. Read on for their inspiring and very smart answers, then share your own tips in the comments below!
Top 10 nursing lessons you’ve learned from your mentors
1. Always, ALWAYS treat your patient as you would want your family treated. Try not to judge—just be compassionate. Judgment is for God, care is for nurses.
—Trayce RN
2. Value your healthcare assistants. If you treat them well, they will go to the end of the world for you.
—Laura Ellison
3. If it wasn’t documented, it wasn’t done!
—Jill Nesta
4. Remember to LISTEN even when the patient isn’t talking. And like what you do. If you love it—you have found a passion like no other! Be observant and treat your peers with kindness and respect. Being a nurse isn’t a job; it’s a way of life—never forget why you go hungry for hours. Always go home with the knowledge that you did your best and GAVE all you had to give. We will all grow old and need a nurse someday; be the one that people never forget.
—Janann Phillips
5. Trust your gut, especially if the patient tells you that something isn’t okay…even if the monitors show otherwise.
—Vera Lynn Stricker-Heckrotte
6. Never miss the chance to hold your patient’s hand and sit and talk awhile.
—Victoria Lewit
7. Walk into every room with confidence, even if the president is the patient.
—Erin Lynn McDermott Jones
8. A sign at my first job: “The day you stop learning is the day you stop nursing.” Kept that saying in my mind ever since then.
—Roberto Reynaga Rodriguez
9. Stay an hour ahead of yourself because you never know what can happen!
—Cecily Cruz
10. Don’t think “I just have to get through this shift!” Think “What can I do in these 12 hours that will make a difference?!”
—Tori Jordan Houston
What’s the best advice your nursing mentor has ever given you?

11 great tips for nurses dealing with stressful work relationships

by Scrubs Editor • September 15, 2013 Blog Carnival, Coworkers

The French novelist Alphonse Karr once said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” And while the nursing profession has evolved and changed over time, many of the same issues–such as bullying, jealousy, and how to build stronger work relationships–remain for nurses today.
Worried about work relationships or have workplace drama on the brain? Luckily, you have the advice of those who have gone before you to help guide you through your journey. Nursesontheedge.com, in collaboration with the Scrubs Blog Carnival, recently featured a fantastic roundup of wisdom especially for nurses thinking about work relationships. Check it out below:

Nurses Eat Their Young

An awesome recent article by Candy Treft, The Gypsy Nurse, inspired me as she wrote about the age-old saying, “nurses eat their young.” This is one phrase and idea which has been around for years. I love how she used a recent experience and was able to correlate the idea of “supporting their young” instead of destroying them. We as nurses need to be empowered to stand up for ourselves and others, as discussed by Lorie Brown, The Empowered Nurse, who also hits this subject head on in her post about nurses eating their young!

So What’s a Nurse to Do?

So how do we as nurses who want to make a difference start to change the atmosphere?  Elizabeth at Living Sublime Wellness speaks openly and candidly about her experience as a nurse and discusses that Love-Hate Relationship between nurses. Elizabeth, like so many of us, has grown tired of the atmosphere and is out to be a agent of change in the nursing industry! Elizabeth not only discusses the issue but also shares the Benefits of Building Relationships with your nurse peers.

Social Media

The recent boom in social media has brought the subject of nurse relationships to the forefront. More and more nurses are speaking out about the issue. No longer is this subject hidden or swept under the rug. Erica MacDonald, from Self-Employed Nurse,  speaks of how new nurses can build a support system and connect with others through social media. I have found personal support and developed great relationships through this avenue.

Diversity Issues

Building relationships with other nurses also means building relationships with people who are different that you are. No one is the same. Even within the same culture, you will find people don’t have the same views or ideals. Instead of embracing differences, some people put up walls and don’t allow communication to transpire. This is not acceptable. Joyce Fiodembo discusses How To Relate To The Nurse who is different than yourself in her International Support Nurse blog.

Find That Mentor

One thing that is very important is to find someone who you can talk with and receive SOUND wisdom from. A mentor is key to connect with, especially in the beginning of each career move. Brittney, the Nerdy Nurse, discusses how important it is to Find That Nurse Mentor! If you are a seasoned nurse, YOU could possibly be the mentor for a nurse and make a difference in their life!

Bridging the Relationship Gap

We KNOW there are issues. We KNOW these issues need to be addressed and improved upon. Communication and relationship challenges not going to go away overnight. We need a paradigm shift where nurses are empowered to stand up for themselves and for others. Understanding your value as a person is a place to start. In this guest post by Lisa, at The Gypsy Nurse, Lisa takes a look at her own experience and discusses Going Beyond simple communication camaraderie.

Keith Carlson with Digital Doorway discusses cooperation and communication in his post about Nurses and Relationships. I just loved that post! It reminded me about personal accountability. Each nurse should evaluate their role related to how they contribute. What is the underlying issue with the difficult nurse? Is it work or home related stress? What role do we play as the nurses who desire to promote a better work environment?

I loved the writing from Adrienne at Nurseables as she illustrates communication styles in story form. Nurse Snow and her Seven Patients is a really neat way to learn about difference communications styles.

A few years ago I received a book titled “Aspire” by Kevin Hall. It was a small book where Mr. Hall did an in-depth word study on several words I had never heard before. One of those words was Genshai. Genshai means to never communicate with someone in a way to make the other person feel small, including yourself. I immediately felt the need to share this concept with the nursing world, and so I wrote Creating a Genshai Nursing Culture. I realized when I wrote it there was some idealism, and not everyone would embrace the concept. The concept hit home to me though, and I’ve tried to employ this concept every since.

Nursing relationships can and should be nurtured. We are not expected to be best friends with everyone we work with. We don’t even have to like everyone we work with. If every nurse would begin to take an honest look at how they perceive others or are perceived in the workplace and then take ownership of those findings, make changes where needed, and embrace others without judgment…we may start seeing the positive changes needed related to nurse-relationships.

8 frustrating things about being the new nurse

by Sean Dent • September 6, 2013  

Congrats! You made it and finally landed the job of your dreams. But whether it’s your first-ever gig as a new graduate nurse or you’re looking to make a fresh start at a different workplace, being the new nurse is never easy. It’s bad enough you have to learn your actual JOB, but there are plenty of things that can complicate your journey along the way. Here are 8 frustrating things about being the new nurse:
Learning new names

I recently poked fun at this very phenomenon on my personal blog in a post called Me and the New Job. Sure, all the employees have ID badges; heck, you have one too. But how in the world does a person remember 20+ new names a day?

Needing a GPS

Bed 3456 on 13SW. Take the north elevator down two flights and make a right. Follow that hallway down the ramp and take the last elevator up to the 10^th floor. Once you get there, bear right immediately at the nurses station and take the next elevator to the 13^th floor. Follow the winding loop of a hallway until you get to the T, where you’ll want to take the second left…(does any of this sound familiar?)

Learning tradition versus protocol

We all learn the hard way that most nurses follow protocol…buuuut sort of don’t. I don’t like to call them shortcuts, but let’s be honest here: We all use them. We’re not breaking any state laws or compromising patient safety, but we all find ways to expedite a process. Just be sure you know what the official P&P is before you accept a shortcut as a standard.

Avoiding Sybil (AKA coworkers with multiple personalities)

How in the world can a fellow employee be your best friend one minute and treat you like his or her mortal enemy the next? This goes for all health care workers, not just nurses.

Walking on eggshells

We all know there are some nurses who don’t play well together. Or certain nursing units don’t jive well with other units. Learning these “schoolyard rules “at your new workplace can be exhausting.

Getting used to a whole new phonebook

I don’t know about you, but the operator becomes my best friend at a new gig. Eventually, the phone numbers will click…but it takes awhile!

Transitioning out of the honeymoon period

There seems to be this transition when, all of a sudden, certain employees show their true colors. They go from being inviting and positive to burnt-out harpies. What the heck happened, I will never know. But your work environment goes from being the greatest place known to man to something much less inviting. The honeymoon period length varies every time.

Evaluating your choice

Ultimately, a new job always ends in a decision. Did you make the right choice? Will this job be a good fit? Will you continue? Or will you set your sights on somewhere else? I feel that everyone should wait a minimum of six months before making that decision. You’d be surprised what you may discover.

In the end, it’s just a job–it’s not your life unless you make it your life. Make every attempt to have the two mesh well; just be sure you know where your priorities lie. Best of luck!

Prepping for the next chapter

Two weeks ago I was offered a position in a Nurse Residency Program. With great joy and not shortage of smiling I accepted and listened intently as my new boss told me what to expect, who to expect to call me and when orientation will be.
So as these weeks seem to fly by, my last vacation as a new grad, there are things I'm working on to prepare for this new position and life dream come true.
1) Focus on me
    Nursing school meant hours and hours of studying which mean hours and hours of sitting.  Each time I would try to exercise, my desire to do well in preparing for an exam or write a paper I couldn't focus or how many reps or sets I needed to do.   So my knowledge increased but so did my weight.  So I working on getting my BMI into a healthy region and be a healthy example for my patients.  My personal trainer shows me no mercy and I'm glad.  I'm a tell-it-like-it-is type of nurse and I appreciate his challenging workouts and well as his encouraging attitude.  It keeps me focused on being sensitive to my patients as well as completely upfront on on what they need to know to improve their health.

2) Organizing my Family
    My oldest just started high school and my youngest is in 1st grade.  This time has allowed up to get a schedule together and work on keeping it.  Soccer games and practices, homework due dates and exam days, whose cooking dinner or cleaning up the kitchen.  This time is great for working out the kinks and seeing what works and fixing  what doesn't.  We'll be more prepared when I start those long work hours and need them to do more and not "try" to pile more on me to do.

3) Connecting and reconnecting with friends
     I have had more "coffee" dates for a non-coffee drinker in the past few weeks than all my life.  It has been therapeutic and encouraging.  Hearing from classmates and colleagues who have been where I am going, giving me advice and sharing their stories are invaluable jewels that I will always treasure.  These great people will be the listening ears I'll need in the coming week and I hope to be a good listener to them as well.

4) Have fun
    I've made sure to do something non-nursing and non-demanding.  Me and the kids are enjoying the video games and board games.  We've also splurged (alittle thanks to friends, deals and coupons) and visited Disneyland, Magic Mountain and SeaWorld.  I made sure to have as much fun as the kids, jumping in full force.  I've also started back to writing, developing stories and putting poems together.  Writing has become my secondary stress reliever along with exercising.  Not that I count exercise as fun, its a necessary evil I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life.

5) Scale Back
    As I was organizing I started looking at what do I really want to do, really need to do and waste my time really doing.  It was amazing how much "Free" time I found.  I can get my homework done, watch an episode of Judge Judy or Rookie Blue and not feel rushed or like I've got somewhere to be at all hours of the day.  I continue to stay involved in my professional organizations but I don't run myself ragged.  If I can volunteer and still be true to me and family then I do it.  Otherwise I don't feel bad saying no.  I am a healthcare professional and if I don't take care of my health I'll be no good to my patients let alone anyone else.

So as I get closer to my first day of work I keep employing these things so I can be the best new nurse I possibly can.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to do what I love and be an asset to my new workplace.
Nurse Kim signing out for now.

Ways to sabotage your job search and Other Job Hunting Types

Abridged: Forbes

CHICAGO, IL -- To help you avoid a costly faux pas, here's a list of the six missteps that will sabotage your job search: 

1) Failing to proofread job-hunting materials. We all make mistakes. Make sure your resume and cover letter are error free or it could lose you a job opportunity. 

2) Ignoring your online footprint. If you don't show up online somewhere, the hiring manager will either conclude that you're a technological dinosaur or have little to offer. Limit the damage of a weak online presence by being proactive. 

3) Sounding wishy-washy about your job objective. When networking to find employment, you'll probably be asked, "What type of job are you looking for?" The more confident and clear you are, the likelier others can and will help you. 

4) Playing the pity game. Yes, it's a tough economy. Yes, age discrimination is real. Yes, it's increasingly difficult for the long-term unemployed to find jobs. But interviewers don't want to hear it. Focus on the positive and keep your emotions in check and try to convey an upbeat attitude.

5) Not preparing a list of questions for your interview. Nothing spoils a job interview faster. Spend time compiling great questions for the interviewer. 

6) Forgetting to say "thank you" Don't be a networking nitwit. Make it a point to thank everyone who takes the time to speak with you.

Try a different approach to your job search

Staff Writer, The Career News

SAN DIEGO, CA -- With a new job search engine called MyJobHunter, you can search all top career sites at once & apply to all matching jobs with one click. Just enter your search criteria, review the matching jobs and select the ones you want. Then, click a single button and you'll instantly apply to all selected jobs with your resume and cover letter (without having to log into each job site separately).

Click another button and you can automate the whole process! MyJobHunter can remember what you searched for, search for it again each day, and AUTOMATICALLY APPLY FOR YOU to new jobs matching your criteria. Review jobs in advance or put searching & applying on auto-pilot. The choice is yours.

You'll also get an application history report that makes follow-up a breeze! It shows the jobs you were applied to, full job descriptions, employer contact info, and application dates. You can even add personal notes to each job! This service is proven to reduce hours of job searching and resume submitting to just minutes. Simply upload your resume, enter your job search criteria and let MyJobHunter take it from there. Try a new approach this year when searching for a job online with MyJobHunter.

A personal website should be a part of your search

Abridged: CareerBliss

ATLANTA, GA -- These days, a job seeker has to stand out. And in a difficult job market, a strong resume may not be enough. One option for getting an edge on the competition is to build a personal website or online portfolio. Here's how having your own website can help your job search:

1) Helps employers come to you. Recruiters can't reach out to you if they can't find you. Building a website or online portfolio makes it easier to be found by a wider array of potential employers. 2) A personal website allows you to show instead of tell. Resumes and job applications tell potential employers about your experience and skill-sets. A personal website allows you to show your talents instead of simply listing them. An online portfolio can let your work speak for itself.

3) Adds to your existing resume. Using a personal website allows you to supplement your resume without leaving anything out. 4) Builds your personal brand. You want to showcase who you are and what you do in a clear and consistent manner. Building your personal brand can help you control how you are seen by others. 5) A personal website grows with you and your accomplishments. It lets you keep an up-to-date listing of every new career achievement. You can highlight a success immediately without having to rework your entire resume around it.

Things employers look for in an interview

Abridged: Wet Feet

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- When interviewing, hiring managers are hoping to explore these basic areas: Do we want to work with you? You might enter an interview prepared to recite a litany of skills and work experience, but interviewers aren't looking for a walking, talking resume. They're already intrigued by your skills--that's why they're interviewing you in the first place. The reason they need to meet with you in person is to gauge your personal qualities, to see if you'll be an asset to the workplace.

Will you mesh with the team? The corporate workplace is increasingly a team-driven environment. Because of this, organizations are especially eager to hire people whom they think will fit within a team. This might mean a tough adjustment for academic high achievers who are used to working on their own. But as much as interviewers might be gauging your individual strengths, they are also evaluating your ability to be a team player.

What's your EQ? Interviewers are probably less interested in your IQ than your EQ--your emotional intelligence. You can have a high IQ and still lack common sense and empathy. Employers are learning that intelligence isn't always the most desired attribute for prospective employees, especially when it comes at the expense of good sense. Although you'll want to impress your prospective employer with your smarts, you also must convey you are a thoughtful, collegial coworker with a sense of personal responsibility.

Why aren't you getting more interviews?

Staff Writer, The Career News

LOS ANGELES, CA -- According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 66% of organizations are having difficulty recruiting for specific job openings. If you think these are highly technical positions that only apply to a very limited few, think again. In their poll of 2,286 HR professionals, the job categories listed as being difficult to fill ranged in expertise from the highly skilled to day laborers.

Do you have what these recruiters are looking for? If so, then why aren't you getting more interviews? It may be hard to believe, but there's a good chance your resume is the culprit. Even the most carefully crafted resume and cover letter can be overlooked if you're not tailoring it to a specific job posting. When your qualifications are not opening the doors for an interview, consider enlisting the assistance of a professional resume writer to help you stand out and get recruiters to take action.

The Career News recommends having your resume written or revised by the resume experts at GuaranteedResumes. Your new resume is--guaranteed to grab an employers attention--while emphasizing your work experience, skills, abilities and achievements. Their expert resume writers know how to strategically apply keywords to your resume and effectively market you for the job you want. Whether seeking a new job or climbing the career ladder--you need a resume that sets you apart from other qualified applicants. It's easy to get started and they even back their work with a 60 day interview-guarantee. To get a superior resume that gets you noticed, get started now.

When to say 'No' on interviews

Abridged: What's For Work

DANVILLE, CA -- Keep your principles and priorities in check. Any time intent and motive come into question on an interview, say "no" even if it means losing out on the job. Intuitive warning signs are also something to which you should give serious consideration. Recalling a past experience, I was asked to meet a traveling recruiter in the lobby of a luxury hotel. Upon arriving, I asked the front desk to let the recruiter know I had arrived. The front desk manager relayed the recruiter wanted me to meet him in his room.

Without hesitation, I said, "no" but that I would wait until he came down to the lobby. Taking the lead on interactions puts you in a position of professionalism. The recruiter came down to the lobby and profusely apologized. From there the interview deteriorated. He conducted a one-way conversation, grilling me, as if I were his prisoner not allowed to offer input or ask questions. Only at the end of a 45 minute discourse was I allowed to ask a question or two and as it turned out, the answers were less than truthful.

Needless to say, this job was not even close to my ideal and one from which I walked away. We all could use extra cash but the question is, to what lengths are you willing to go to get some? Your answer will dictate the right job for you!

The ultimate guide to job interview answers

Staff Writer, The Career News

LOS ANGLES, CA -- The interview is extremely critical given employers and recruiters use your presentation to make their final decision. When you enter an interview armed with a wealth of information on the company and a solid understanding of how you can make a valuable contribution, you're automatically put at the front of the pack. Imagine what life would be like if you could ace any job interview you take, blowing the competition out of the water and giving the interviewers no other option but to hire you!

If you really want to land the job of your dreams you must give yourself an advantage over your competitors. What too many people fail to understand is that it doesn't matter what it says on your resume, you only really have one chance to impress your prospective employer and it all boils down to 'how well you perform in your job interview' and the answers you provide to their tough interview questions.

With 'The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers' you can arm yourself with the answers they want to hear to some of the toughest questions any interviewer could possibly throw at you. This guide is "so much more than a list of questions and answers". With a bit of practice you'll be able to adapt to the mind-set of the interviewer and know exactly how they want you to respond based on the types of questions they ask. You will lose any nerves you once had, increase your interview confidence and the job interview will become a game you will win! To ace your next interview and beat the competition, get The Ultimate Guide To Job Interview Answers today.

Tips to get your resume past scanners and screeners

Abridged: Feisty Side of Fifty

DENVER, CO -- In order to ensure your resume gets passed along, you'll need to "learn the rules of the game." Applicant tracking systems are programmed to allow only those resumes that match the search criteria (i.e. keywords) to make it through the screening process and eventually wind up on the recruiter's computer screen. If yours does not reflect what they're looking for, it will disappear into the black hole of cyberspace.

Give them what they want. You'll need to match your skill sets to the skills advertised in the posting. Whatever you put on your resume needs to be 100% truthful, however it's your decision as to which skills you choose to emphasize. Remember, software cannot make assumptions, your resume needs to duplicate the advertised skills as closely as possible.

Placement is Important. If your resume makes it through the screening process of the applicant tracking software, it will eventually be viewed by a human screener/recruiter. Most reviewers claim to give resumes only a 30-second scan. Therefore your key skills and experience need to be readily visible and placed at the top of your resume. Ask yourself the "so what" question. Although keywords and skills are critical, you'll need to sell the reviewer on your abilities by stressing your accomplishments. Asking yourself "so what" after each bulleted statement on your resume will help you focus on the positive results you've achieved.