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Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My First Job
Whether you’re a new grad or you’ve decided to look for a new position, congratulations on the new adventure you’re starting! Not only can this be a really exciting time for you, but it can also be a bit stressful. Full disclosure: this will be one of the toughest times in your life. Yes, there are tons of positions open all over the world, but you’re also in the same position as four million other people! Don’t get discouraged though! The time will come where you start going on interviews and then, finally, you’ll start your first job!
Starting your very first full-time job can be a little overwhelming. While it’s an exciting time because you finally get to start making your own money to save up for a new car, a house, a wedding, or just to start paying off your student loans, the unknowns can be a little stressful. Here are a couple of things I wish I knew before starting my first position:
Everyone is on their own timeline.
Some people have their dream jobs right out of the gate and others will still be in school getting their Master’s. The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to them. You are not falling behind, and you are not way ahead, you are right on time.
You’re going to make many, many, MANY mistakes.
That’s really the only way you are going to learn. You’re not going to learn anything by being perfect. The worst thing you can do is get angry with yourself. Forget the mistake, remember the lesson and move on.
Make the extra effort to befriend your coworkers.
Starting a new job can be intimidating and so can the people around you. When you start your first workday, try to introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Remember people’s names and make an effort to start a conversation. The friendlier you are, the more comfortable you and your coworkers will be.
There is an opportunity in every single task.
Whether it be a team outing, helping a coworker, or grabbing lunch with your boss, always think about the possible positive outcomes – you could be surprised where it takes you. “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” Eric Roth
Decorate your office/cube.
There is no shame in making your office or cubicle feel a little more like home. Grab some picture frames or an inspirational quote and put it on your desk. You’ll spend 40 hours a week in that space, you might as well spice it up with things you like. AND it doesn’t hurt to keep it clean.
Setting attainable goals.
Whether it be work related or personal, it’s important to set goals. Goals are like plans that help us break things down into doable tasks. Too often we celebrate finished products and not all the little tasks we completed that got us there. Allow yourself the gratification of completing all these tasks, you’ll be surprised how accomplished and motivated you feel.
You are not alone if starting a new job stirs feelings of anxiety and fear. Be confident in your skills, remember they hired you and trust the process. For help with resume writing, preparing for your interview, negotiating salaries, and more subscribe to our blog.
4 Things To Do Before Heading To Work
There’s so many things to do to get yourself in the right mindset before you head off to work!
Tips for New Triage Nurses
As a Triage Nurse your challenging duty is to medically assess the patients’ illnesses and symptoms to determine which patients need immediate attention from the doctor. It’s a tricky job considering having to deal with a room full of worried patients and family members, so doing it as a novice can seem pretty much impossible. But, don’t worry, there have been many people in your shoes and we’re going to simplify it by giving you some tips and tricks to ace your job!
First things first, greet every patient with a smile.
They are already scared, so try and ease their anxiety by treating them warmly. If you make your patients feel more comfortable, they will feel better telling you their medical history. If you were to be cold and emotionless, they might feel the need to withhold some important parts of their medical history that could help you in the end.
Take your time and be efficient.
I know there may be tons of people in the waiting room but rushing your patients won’t do you any good. Take it slow with them. Make sure you’re getting all the information needed to be able to follow the correct protocol. It’s easy to jump to conclusions after you hear the first symptom but you need to explore all possibilities.
Trust your instincts.
So many people come into the emergency room with self-diagnoses that they got from the internet. Take into consideration their concerns, but also give a full assessment and make your decisions based on that assessment. Remember that this is your decision and not theirs, you’re the one with the credentials and knowledge.
Don’t be afraid to ask more questions.
Probe a little further into your patient’s history or ask them questions that could narrow down the list of potential medical problems to improve your chances of finding the cause of your patients’ symptoms.
Have open communication with your patients.
Be sure to make them comfortable enough to want to come in if they have any other symptoms or if any of their illnesses worsen. Don’t fall into the trap of once you hand off the patient to the doctor, you are done. Before the patient leaves, make sure he or she knows that if they have any questions or concerns to come to you. Be approachable. Also, make sure you’re communicating with your other patients in the waiting room by keeping them updated on delays or just simply checking in on them.
Triage nurses have a big responsibility as they are the first person a patient sees when they are scared and in a time of need. Figuring out the cause of their illness takes time and careful attention. To apply for one of our Triage Nurse positions, click here.
5 Ways to Take Charge of Your Career
In just about every interview, you can expect to be asked, “Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?” A generation ago, we used to know… You get a job in your twenties, work hard to get raise after raise, get promoted once or twice, and then you retire. Nowadays, people don’t know. They get bored with one company and then jump to the next one, looking for something that’s new and challenging, sometimes even returning to school for a complete career change. An unclear path like this makes it hard to create a career vision and figure out where you actually see yourself in 10 years. Hiring managers understand this jump-ship mentality and it’s why almost every hiring manager asks you this question.
Let’s dive in and help you take control of your own future.
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Develop yourself.
In order for you to grow in your career, you also need to grow your skillset. Try to learn something new every day. Find people who have similar roles to you and take a look at their skills. What are they doing that you can’t?
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Networking is a must.
Take the time to build relationships with people in the business world. This could open many doors for you down the road. It’s also nice to have a lot of people in your corner rooting for you to succeed. The more connections you have, the more possibilities there are. Use them to your advantage.
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When you want something, you’ve got to ask for it.
For example, if there’s an opening in upper management and you want the position, what do you do? Go to your supervisor and tell them why you should be considered for the role. Don’t tell them why you should have the role. Explain why you should be considered, use statistics, explain your experience, and share your accolades. Don’t risk being looked over for the position because you didn’t say something.
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Stay passionate.
Write a list of all the things you love about your position to keep you motivated. Then, write a list of things you’d like to be doing down the road – skill wise. Chances are you could find that in with your current company. Maybe you’d like to lead a team- create a target and work towards it.
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Ride outside your comfort zone.
Consider your comfort zone a small circle around you using the skills and connections you’ve had for years. Now think of all the skills and connections outside of that small circle that you are missing out on. Live life to the fullest and try to be a “yes man”. You never know what could come out of going outside your comfort zone.
Figure out where you want to be, what direction you want to go in, and what you want to be doing (what’s your 10-year plan). Only you can control your future.
Giving Back to Our Orlando Community
At HealthCare Support, we strive to be one of the most trusted employment partners in our industry. But, we aren’t only concerned with the quality of services we provide to our clients – we also take pride in providing a great place for our employees to work and a culture that they want to be a part of. Indeed, one of our core missions is “Shaping futures for individuals and their families.”
Our employees have come to learn this firsthand, as well as all the health care professionals we place in jobs. However, we also think the same way about our community here in Orlando. We are in a great position to be a positive force in our local community, and our service-based culture extends into many volunteering efforts.
Throughout the year, our Internal Development Team rallies our employees around several charitable causes. One of our favorite things to do is participating in various races and walks to raise money. Just last month, we were able to raise $12,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide prevention at the “Out of Darkness Walk.” We also had the privilege of sending several volunteers to the Florida Citrus Sports 2018 “Feast on the 50” at the Camping World Stadium. There, our employees helped raise money for disadvantaged children in the community surrounding the stadium.
Another thing we love to do is collecting food and supplies for different drives. We participate annually in the A Gift for Teaching School Drive, rounding up boxes of necessary school supplies like crayons, notebooks, pencils, markers, and scissors for needy students. And, as Florida residents who understand the devastating effects of hurricanes, we raise hurricane relief supplies for those most in need whenever the situation calls. Most recently, our team collected essentials like diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, food, and clothing for those affected by hurricane Michael last year.
Every deal we make, every professional we recruit, and every new person we hire allows us to have more of an impact around us. If you are looking for your next job in the healthcare industry, let us help! To get in touch with us, you can call 407-478-0332.
The Marie Kondo Effect – Spring Cleaning Edition
The Marie Kondo Effect – Spring Cleaning Edition
Spring is here! Have you started your spring cleaning? If not, watch “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix to get in the spirit. In the meantime, we’ve summarized some tips and tricks for getting organized and clean this spring.
I know two things in life. 1. Cleaning is one of the least exciting things ever. 2. Getting rid of things you might actually need down the road is a tough thing to do — what if you end up needing that $3 butterfly net you got at Goodwill 2 years ago? Chances are you probably won’t ever use it ever again but there’s always that “what if”.
“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” helps us with that. The show is basically about a woman that goes around to people’s houses and helps them purge by dumping all their things on their beds and seeing which items still “spark joy”. If they don’t, to Goodwill they go. This not only works for your living space, but also for your car, your computer files, and of course, your work office!
So, why is spring cleaning beneficial?
Being busy in the 8-5 business world, I’m sure organizing your desk is one of the last things on your mind, but it can be really important for your success. Here are a couple reasons why you should spring clean your desk/office right this second:
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It makes you more efficient.
When you have a place or file for everything you wont waste your time looking through piles of papers on your desk. Everything is right where it should be, and this keeps you at the top of your game.
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Being unorganized is distracting.
If there are a lot of things on your desk, it’s easy to get distracted by old papers or old projects. There is also the factor that looking at your messy desk, and thinking about how you have a messy desk, is also distracting and wasting time. Having an unorganized desk makes for an unorganized mind.
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It makes you appear more professional
. Someone who is a very professional person takes pride in appearing clean and organized, whether that be their outfit, makeup, hair, or even their desk. Look at your desk from a different perspective. What does the way it looks say about you?
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Keeps important or sensitive information protected
. Being unorganized could leave you at risk for accidentally exposing delicate information that can easily be misplaced on a messy desktop. Keep all your sensitive information stored in a locked drawer.
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More room to do your work
. It’s hard to do your work when every time you reach for a sip of water, you knock something off your desk. Having a clean workspace, gives you the space you need to be diligent.
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Keeps you from getting sick!
Besides productivity reasons, having a tidy desk also allows you to clean your desktop. Did you know the average desk contains 400 more germs than a toilet seat? Get in the groove of cleaning it every Friday, and you’ll surely cut back the amount of office colds you’re exposed to.
What better time than spring to do a little cleaning? Set some time aside to go through your drawers, your computer files, and your desktop to see which items “spark joy” in you. If they don’t, it’s time to say goodbye.
“Dos and Don’ts” While Interacting with Patients
For those in the healthcare industry, interacting with patients is likely a key part of what you do every day. Though some like nurses and general practitioners see more of the patient than surgeons or anesthesiologists, anyone involved with healthcare needs to have the interpersonal skills to relate to their patients. After all, the whole purpose of healthcare is to administer to the sick and injured, and the relational aspect is no small piece of that. Here are some things to do, and not to do, every time you meet with a patient.
Things to Do
- Encourage the patient to speak – This will help them feel valued and involved. A patient isn’t merely a broken machine to be set right, but a human being requiring care.
- Listen carefully – Listening when a patient talks shows that you genuinely are interested in what they are saying, and you might actually learn something important for their treatment.
- Answer the question the patient asks – Don’t immediately disregard uninformed questions, but answer as best you can and then explain how you see things. This will make it feel more like a conversation and less like a lecture.
Things Not to Do
- Use jargon – In all likelihood, your patient probably didn’t go to medical school, so drop terminology which would be meaningless to them. An oversimplified understanding is better than not understanding at all for a patient.
- Steamroll a conversation – Don’t just show up, lecture the patient, and leave before they had time to process anything you said. This is a great way to ensure that your patient will leave confused and dissatisfied with you as their caregiver.
- Include unnecessary information – Another way to cause confusion is to explain too much or answer questions they didn’t ask. Be as clear and concise as possible. Otherwise your patient might forget key things you said in the stream of over-information.
- Make assumptions about the patient – When a patient begins telling you something about their feelings or symptoms, don’t cut them off before they finish because you think you know what is wrong. This is a great way to alienate your patient and you might even jump to the wrong conclusion.
Find Your Next Healthcare Job
HealthCare Support can help talented, passionate healthcare professionals find the perfect long-term or short-term job. Our professional network is vast, and our dedicated team can help place you in the ideal situation for your career. To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 407-478-0332.
Signs of a Good and Bad Job Candidate
Finding the right employee to fill an open position at your company can be tough. If it seems like over and over again you are hiring the wrong people, you may need some help with the hiring process. Specifically, you need to be able to pick up on positive and negative signs of a candidate during the interview process. This way, you’ll avoid the dreaded situation of figuring out you’ve hired the wrong person and having to start the search over again. Watch out for the following indicators of good and bad candidates for your next job opening.
Good Sign: They show excitement and zeal.
Bad Sign: They seem disinterested or even bored.
Paying attention to the candidate’s level of interest in the job is critical. Sure, some may be polished, seasoned interviewees who know how to fake it for a job offer. But, you will usually be able to tell in your gut after getting to know them better if they are truly excited to work with you. On the other side, it is a serious red flag if the interviewee seems like they’d rather be somewhere else.
Good Sign: They are punctual and prepared.
Bad Sign: They are late and ill-prepared.
Punctuality conveys that the candidate values your time and is thoughtful enough to plan ahead. A good candidate will have multiple hard copies of their resume, and their resume itself will be carefully constructed with perfect grammar and punctuation. If a candidate comes in without their resume, or it has typos and basic mistakes, it shows that they are not detail-orientated and lack focus. If you think you can overlook these things, remember that they will likely make similar mistakes after you hire them.
Good Sign: They ask thoughtful questions.
Bad Sign: They have no questions at all.
If the candidate is asking in-depth questions about your company, it shows that they have spent time thoroughly researching things before coming in. Even more so, it demonstrates that they have carefully considered what it would be like to work at your company and aren’t sending out applications all over the place. A candidate that has no questions for you at the end of the interview is likely one that isn’t actually interested in your company, but sees the job simply as a way to make money.
The hiring process can be tiresome, stressful, and costly, so let HeathCare Support help you fill open positions with the right candidates. Our team specializes in matching all manner of health care professionals to employers looking to hire. Call us today to learn about how we can assist employers at 407-478-0332.
Get a Hobby – It’s Good for Your Career!
A “work-life balance” seems to be what everyone is chasing after. You work hard all day so when you come home, you’re able to unwind by doing something you actually love to do. Your overall well-being is very important to your long-term success and your hobbies contribute immensely to that. Hobbies positively impact your personal life (for obvious reasons) and it also positively impacts your professional life as well. Here’s why:
- There are some hobbies that build confidence. Being confident is a very important quality to have, especially in the workplace. It allows you to express your ideas or opinions in a poise manner. Confidence is the key to success, and it shapes the foundation of your endurance. Some hobbies that can boost your self-esteem and confidence are running marathons, yoga, traveling alone, and learning a new language or instrument.
- Having hobbies make you seem like a more interesting person. It can help other people get a sense of what you’re all about and helps you connect with other people. People want to be around other people that have attractive lifestyles, otherwise there’s not much to talk about! Want to be a more interesting person? Try rock climbing, fishing, volunteering, or photography.
- If you have the type of job where you are working your left brain all day, then maybe you need a hobby that works the right side. Having a creative hobby stimulates your brain and affects your brainstorming and problem-solving abilities. You’re able to think more outside the box and it sets you apart from other peers or companies. Start painting, writing, knitting, baking, or doing DIY projects.
- Hobbies can improve your multitasking. Having a multitasking hobby can help speed up your performance, especially if you are working on a couple different things at one time. It can also help train your brain to stay focused for a long period of time. A couple great multitasking hobbies are cooking, dancing, and acting.
- A great way to network is through having hobbies! By going to spinning classes, golfing, or playing team sports, you meet so many people and get a chance to widen your professional circle. Who knows, maybe your spin class neighbor is the CEO of your dream company!
Overall, everyone needs hobbies to stay sane. Get out there and find a couple things you like! There are millions of hobbies and, one way or another, they’ll affect your life in some way!