Job Hunting Tips for Nurses

So you graduated, reviewed for the licensure exam, took it, and got your license. What's next now? 

They say that the toughest part of a nurse's life is passing the licensure exam, but if we take into account the sentiments of most nurses today, it is the job hunting part that is giving thousands and thousands of nurses a hard time. 

How do we beat this? Let me share with you some of the things that I have done. 

There are so many variables to consider--training, experience, skills, salary, benefits, job location and many others. There are really no clear-cut steps that will lead you to landing the job you want, or in most cases, the job you need. But there sure are many ways to look for opportunities and pitch in your self! 

While job advertisements on paper are not outdated yet, job openings or job ad postings on the web now abound. The internet is most likely a part of your life now so you might as well use it for your professional advantage. But before you start hunting, make sure you have your most important tool--your resume or curriculum vitae. Make one and make sure that it has all the necessary details about you. (There are many resources on how to make an outstanding resume that you can check out.)

Oh, and one thing important thing, it helps to add a photo. Pick a neat and professional looking one. (I have gone through so many resumes and believe me, there are still many applicants who use photos taken from mobile phones and taken from top or side view, if you know what I mean. There are also those who photos show them and some unneatly cropped out body parts of who ever they were sitting with when the photo was taken. I also got this photo of a guy wearing shorts and sitting on a couch. I almost didn't want to read their resumes! So please, do pick a decent photo to put on your resumes.)

When your resume's ready, then you can start the search! Here are some suggestions: 

1. Visit the website of the company you would like to work for or any other company that you could possibly work for. Most of them would have a 'Careers' of 'Jobs' section where they post their job openings. Check them out and see if they have any job offerings where you can fit in. Some websites have RSS feeds or Content subscription. You might want to sign up for those to be able to receive updates  notifications on new job openings . 

2. Sign up at job sites. There are various job repositories where you can create an account and apply to job openings. Some of these include jobstreet.com and jobsdb.com. These two allow you to create your jobseeker's profile which would become your digital resume and then search and apply for job openings. Some of these sites also offer jobseeker-job opening matching, where your skills are matched to the requirements of some job openings. You might want to sign up for those, too. You will get notifications on available job openings that you might be interested in. 

3. Signup at linkedin.com. Build your profile, post your resume and add a cover letter. There are many head hunters as well as job ad postings on linkedin that you can checkout. Follow relevant people to get updates on what they post. If would also be good to widen your network, join groups and add your two-cents worth in group discussions. You may also want to take this opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals about certain topics that you are probably interested in. I heavily use linkedin and it helps me a lot. Take a break from other social networking sites and spend some time on this professional networking site. It is doing me good. I hope it helps you too. 

3. On Facebook, many companies have fan pages. You may want to like the pages of those you are interested in working for as some of them post job ads there. Plus, it also keeps you updated on the activities of the company. But you also have to be careful here. Post responsibly and check your security settings to filter who can see your posts.  You don't want to scare potential employers with your nude photos, or heart broken posts, right? 

4. Join twitter and follow the twitter accounts of companies you are interested in working for. Many companies explore all social media networks. you wouldn't want to miss tweets about new jobs. While you are at it, there are many professionals who post great tips and new articles on twitter. You might also want to follow them and learn from their posts. 

5. Google plus is a growing network. As far as I know, they are still working on something that can be used by businesses. It wouldn't hurt to join though as some are ready using it to make some announcements. There are also many CEOs and top management people in this network and some of them share great information. 

That end's my list for now. I hope these suggestions can help you in your job hunting feat and good luck! 

PS: Want an invite to Google+? ;)

https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=%2F%3Fgpinv%3DhpYw8TULHv4%3ApDj8YmhzzI8

Healthcare Informatics - What is it?

Healthcare Informatics -- For many years, we have seen how information and communication technology (ICT) has changed our way of living. In the recent years, ICT's effect on the healthcare industry has become more evident. eHealth, telemedicine, mobile health, electronic medical records are just among the terms that we now hear from healthcare providers. These are becoming a trend and it is believed to radically improve the industry. 

While there is no definite definition of the term, Healthcare informatics is said to be the combination of information and communication technology and healthcare that streamlines systems, processes, and communications to aid documentation, assist decision making,  reduce errors, increase health care information delivery and service efficiency. 

The application of healthcare informatics in the healthcare industry its impressive. The challenge, however, lies on training the healthcare providers to adapt it for their practice and increasing the acceptance and awareness of health consumers about it. 

Perhaps for his reason, many individuals and companies are adopting it and are directing their services and activities towards it. 

Jumping into the Twittersphere: A Nurse's Guide

Jumping into the Twittersphere: A Nurse's Guide

Bahrain In Need of 300 Filipino Health Workers

Bahrain In Need of 300 Filipino Health Workers

medical butler- nursing education, nursing training, and nurses' social interaction network

medical butler- nursing education, nursing training, and nurses' social interaction network

Brand Aid - CNBC Business

Brand Aid - CNBC Business

A Singapore healthcare firm is making the most of the medical tourism boom, setting up resorts, interactive e-clinics, call centres and its own TV channel.

The Nightingale Chronicles: The 2nd Millennium Convention: Register now!

The Nightingale Chronicles: The 2nd Millennium Convention: Register now!: "We humbly invite all nurses, graduates & students to AYNLA's 2nd Millennium Convention with the 2011 theme 'E=MC2: Engaging in Maternal & Ch..."

JOOMLA: MAMP Installation Guide

So I have taken a particular interest in CMS lately and decided to take a Joomla Training as it's one of the most, if not the most commonly used CMS around the world.

During the training, I was the only Mac-based user. The other trainees were on windows so the examples and demos were mostly focused on windows-based users.

After the training, I tried to look for more resources for installation of database and joomla on Mac. Detailed instructions were quite a few (or maybe I just didn't look hard enough) so I thought I would document how I installed MAMP.

For those who are looking for instructions on how to properly install MAMP, I am going to show you below how I did it (Assuming that you already know the basics of Joomla). Hope you'll find it useful.

1. Copy the MAMP installer (MAMP_MAMP_PRO_1.9.dmg) into your applications folder. (If the file is still zipped, you can click to unzip. Open the installer (MAMP_MAMP_PRO_1.9.dmg). The MAMP & MAMP Pro Panel will open.

2. Drag the MAMP Folder into the Applications Folder.

3. You should now have the MAMP folder in your Applications Folder.

4. Click on the MAMP icon in your MAMP folder to open the MAMP Server Panel. Click on Start Servers. The buttons before Apache Server and MySQL should turn green.

5. Once you have started the server, you will be brought to a webpage that will notify you that MAMP has been installed and is working properly. Take note of the connection parameters (You'll need it when Installing joomla).

I hope this helped! Drop me a question anytime. I might be able to help!

That's all for now. Ciao!

"5 REASONS TO EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA"

I am sorting out my emails and stumbled upon this message I got from the Linkedin group I joined and I would like to share it with you:

The group is called eMarketing Association Network. If you are a marketer, this is good stuff for you:

"5 REASONS TO EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA"

1." Social media is an important SEO tool. Links from so social media are playing an increasingly important role in your site's search position. Since 80% of consumer purchases start with search, this reason alone is a good argument for embracing social media."

2. "Your customers expect you to be social. 60% of Americans spend time on a social network at least once a week. YouTube reaches 36% of all business decision makers, more than Forbes.com. 93% of business buyers believe all companies should have a social media presence."

3." Social media provides important marketing data and consumer feedback. You don't need surveys to find out what your prospects are thinking. The buyers in your market are telling you this now in social media. But you have to listen."

4."Social media is the new PR. Journalists increasingly rely on social media to research story ideas, sources and trends. A PR program that relies on phone, online wire services, and mail is no longer effective."

5. "Social media produces very high conversion on leads. Leads from social focus on quality not quantity. Prospects that engage with you on social networks are more likely to look favorably on your company and brand, and its offerings."

I find linkedin groups really helpful in providing information and insights straight from experts, CEOs, directors, founders, etc.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

New Nursing Grads: Waiting for a Chance?

It's already a fact. There are too many nursing graduates and registered nurses in the Philippines...and too many of them who are unemployed. In fact, the government has already discouraged taking up nursing and encouraged other courses that are in demand in the Philippines.

There are also a significant number of employed nurses who are overworked and underpaid. While nurses in other countries are well compensated, nurses in the Philippines try to thrive on salaries that are not even enough to cover the basic living expenses.

This scenarios have made these nurses complain and demand from the government. There are those who are fighting for nurses' right for those who are overworked and underpaid.

There are also those who demand that the government provide more jobs. The govenrment then came up with community internship programs to provide training for nurses as well as better healthcare to far flung communities. Nurses under this program are given a minimal stipend to cover food, accommodation, and transportation expenses. It sounded good...until the release of the stipends have been delayed and the nurse interns started complaining again.

All these issues are really endless. A new set of nurses are going to take the NLE exam again soon. When the result comes out, we have more additions to..,uh, the pool human resources.

If you are a nurse who is going to take the exams in July, no, I am not discouraging you. There's no stopping you from pursuing what you really want in life.

Maybe for a start, work further on your skills and qualifications. Be resourceful and be open to all possibilities. Drop that entitlement mentality. It's not always the government's or the employers' or whoever's responsibility to ensure that you have a great career and future. Stop blaming. Stop making excuses.

I found this really interesting article that can give you a head start in your career. This is the paragraph that caught my attention:

"I've recently been asked the question, "I’m a new nursing grad, but I can’t find a job. Why won't anyone give me a chance?" My response: there isn't much incentive for employers to "give" someone a chance unless they see clearly how it will benefit them. While the question is likely borne out of discouragement, and understandably so, it undermines the nursing job search. True, you’re a nurse, not a salesperson. However, you still have to establish your merits on your own and market them accordingly. Understand the need to construct a justification, solicit buy-in, counter opposition, and make the outcome clear and tangible to those in a position to make positive decisions about you."

New Nursing Grads: Waiting for a Chance?