Tuesday, December 31, 2019

How to have a successful summer vacation

How to have a successful summer vacationHow to have a successful summer vacationLots of people will take a vacation this summer, but for many of them, their vacations wont be the relaxing, recuperative getaways they were hoping for.Research shows that about40% of people return from their vacations and feel either no better, or even worse, than before they left.This happens because many of us make mistakes that compromise how enjoyable and satisfying our vacations can be. Below are some simple recommendations that you can implement before, during and after your vacation that will help ensure that your time off this summer is pleasurable, gratifying and fully recharges your batteries.Plan aheadVacations can be stressful. Minimize your stress by planning out key parts of your vacation before you leave.Reserve a flight outside of rush hour so you dont get stuck in traffic. Book your scuba diving adventure a few weeks in advance.Before leaving make sure that you and your travel partners a re clear on everyones vacation priorities and have a general agreement about how youll spend your time.While you are away you dont want to engage in potentially stressful negotiations about how to fill your days. Even a single negative incident on vacation, like an argument with a spouse, reduces how much your time away improves your health and well-being.Put away the electronicsA necessary ingredient for recharging your batteries on vacation is mentally disengaging from work. Its elend enough to physically leave the office, you have to mentally leave the office.This is called psychological detachment. If youre on the beach constantly looking at your phone to see whats happening back at work, youre not psychologically detached. If you check your email three times a day, youre not psychologically detached.If you dont psychologically detach you wont replenish yourself much on your trip. Turn off the electronics and clear your mind. That said, if you get anxious about the mountain of e mails that will be waiting for you when you get back to work, you will also have trouble chilling out. So, engage in email triage.Once every three or four days, check your email and delete anything you can dispense with immediately. Then, reply quickly to anything that can be addressed with a simple, token response, and mark as unread anything that needs some thought and should be tackled when you get back. This cuts the huge mountain of emails down to a small pile, which will put your mind at ease and allow you to unwind.Enjoy yourselfBe a little bit selfish on vacation and ensure that you get to do what floats your boat. Enjoying yourself is a necessary ingredient in making sure your vacation is recuperative.Vacations are supposed to refresh you and alleviate the burnout you suffer at work, and research shows that when you enjoy yourself and are satisfied with your vacation, your level of burnout drops significantly while away,but when you are not satisfied, your level of burnout barely changes.Similarly, whether or not you enjoy your vacation strongly affectshow refreshed you feel when its over. Take time for yourself and participate in activities you find pleasurable and satisfying. This is your vacation. Youve earned it.Staycations are OKNot everyone has the disposable funds for travel vacations. But thats OK. Staycations can be as effective as exotic getaways if they are done right.The main mistake people make during vacations at home is that they stay in their normal routine. They cook, they clean, they watch TV. In short, they dont vacate their normal lives.If you stay at home on your vacation, shake things up. Visit local tourist attractions. Eat different foods. Take day trips to neighboring communities. Getting out of your normal routine can make a staycation feel as novel and recuperative as an excursion to a foreign land.Come home a little earlyWe usually come back from our travel vacations on Sunday night so we can return to work Monday morning. We do this because we think that maximizing our vacation time means making the vacation last as long as possible.But the goal of our vacations shouldnt be to make them as long as possible but to make them as effective as possible. If you return home Sunday night youre likely to zulauf around trying to hurriedly unpack, water your plants, do laundry, pick up some groceries, check your phone messages and various other things you need to do to get back into the swing of things.However, scrambling about is stressful and can quickly undo all the health and well-being gains you made while on vacation. Research shows that people who return from vacations a little bit early report being in a better mood for longer than those who return on a Sunday.Bookend your vacation with as little stress as possible. Come home early enough to leisurely get back into your normal routine, and ease back into work retaining your vacation benefits for as long as you can.People often complain that they need a vacation from their vacation. When we return from our time off feeling just as depleted and tired as before we left it is usually because our vacations didnt allow us to replenish our drained resources, satisfy our needs or adequately disengage from our normal routines.Implementing a few simple tactics before, during, and after your vacation can ensure that your time off this summer fully recharges your batteries and lets you return to work feeling healthy, happy and productive.This article was originally published on TheConversation.com.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Art Therapist Career Overview - Job Description, Skills, Duties, Education, Training, Job Outlook Salary

Art Therapist Career Overview - Job Description, Skills, Duties, Education, Training, Job Outlook SalaryArt Therapist Career Overview - Job Description, Skills, Duties, Education, Training, Job Outlook SalaryArt Therapist Job DescriptionAn species therapist is trained to evaluate and treat patients by helping them create art. Art therapy is an alternative therapy that helps heal medical and psychiatric disorders.The patients may be young, very old, or somewhere in between, and vary from the physically ill to the emotionally stressed.The therapist integrates the understanding of art and psychology, and utilizes research-based art therapy techniques.Art therapy has its foundation on the idea that patients can enhance their confidence, self worth, solve conflicts, acknowledge losses, eliminate anxiety and generally improve their lives by creating art, which may be in the form of pottery, sketching or sewing.Create this ResumeArt Therapist Skills/DutiesArt therapist often works as part e of a team comprising of healthcare professionals. The therapist provides the materials and instructions for the art therapy will conduct evaluations, treatments, and rehabilitation and keep a record to share with other physicians and healthcare personnel.They may work with cancer patients, psychiatric patients, schizophrenia patients, drug addicts, burn cases, retarded children, patients with bipolar disorder, etc.They may be hired by clinics, healthcare centers, hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities or outpatient centers. They help individuals in retirement communities or nursing homes. They may also be employed by schools, universities or advice patients in private practice.An art therapist maintains patient records and progress. He also performs administrative duties. He attends conferences and seminars.Art Therapist Education and Training An art therapist must train in art and psychology. At the undergraduate level, you have to complete 15 semester hours of studio art, i ncluding, building a portfolio of art work and 12 semester hours of psychology. You have to then complete a Masters Program in art therapy, which takes 2 years to finish, during which, you will have to complete 24 graduate credit hours of work. You must then obtain credentials by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. After completing the graduate education, post graduate work experience, and passing a written test, you will receive board certification as an art therapist.Art Therapist Job OutlookThe job outlook for art therapists looks good. The job prospects will increase, like for other health care professions.Art Therapist SalaryAn art therapist earns between $35,000 and $50,000 in a year. The salary depends on his education qualification and experience. Customize ResumeMore Sample Career ArticlesArt Therapist Career Bariatrician Career Cardiologist Career

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Best Personality Traits for Payroll Jobs

Best Personality Traits for Payroll JobsBest Personality Traits for Payroll JobsApplying for a job is a lot like putting yourself out there on dating apps like Tinder. When hiring managers interview applicants, it takes but a few minutes for them to decide whether to swipe right or swipe left. And like dating, prospective employers are looking at everything youd bring to the payroll position they have open, including your best personality traits.To land a great job, give interviewers a strong impression of who you are and how your temperament will be an asset to the payroll department. Here are the five types of payroll professionals businesses want to hire1. CommunicatorsThese professionals are experts when it comes to the soft skills of tact, diplomacy, empathy and both written and verbal communication. They make friends easily, including with people outside of finance, which helps to improve interdepartmental collaboration. Communicators are especially good candidates for manageme nt positions.Most interviewers will talk about soft skills, asking behavioral questions such as, Tell me about a time when youve had a difficult conversation with a colleague. When responding, demonstrate your intuitive understanding of people and that you know how to get your homilie across. Dont forget to mention the importance of listening to others as one of the best personality traits a person can have.2. Self-startersSome people need constant guidance, but not self-starters. They have an innate sense of what needs to be done and how to get the job done right. These personality types enjoy working alone, but in a team environment, their energy motivates others. Payroll managers like self-starters, as ansicht workers dont require a lot of hand holding.To emphasize this aspect of your personality, focus on projects youve initiated, such as researching payroll systems and choosing the best one for your company. Problem solving is an essential element of being a self-starter, so re late anecdotes that begin with a predicament and end with the successful implementation of your solution.On the Lookout for Payroll Manager or Payroll Clerk Jobs? Read about the latest pay ranges, duties and skills in our salary spotlight.3. ExplorersExplorers are curious about everything. They are the first to embrace change and new platforms, and quickly find innovative and more efficient ways of completing tasks. As more payroll systems move to the cloud, these are the ones who help guide coworkers and other users.During interviews for payroll positions, explorers easily demonstrate their comfort level with new technology. But a grasp of IT is only one aspect of this personality. They have an equal level of understanding of the most current legislation regarding tax rates, withholdings and compliance requirements. When talking about yourself, mention all the ways you keep up with industry trends, such as the blogs you read, the newsletters you subscribe to and the training you se ek out for yourself.4. PerfectionistsThese payroll employees have an eagle eye. They recognize discrepancies from a mile away and pride themselves on a near-zero error rate. Theyre careful and talented, but also efficient with their time. When a perfectionist is on the team, managers dont have to worry about anything falling through the cracks.Attention to detail is one of those best personality traits for any payroll professional, but perfectionists go one step further. When meeting with prospective employers, talk about your near obsession with getting things just right. Back up your assertions with real-life examples, such as when you caught an error that saved the department countless hours of grief from underpaid employees. If you dont have such a story, thats okay. Talk about the common payroll mistakes you keep an eye out for, or your methodology for double-checking data entries.5. Moral guidesIf you have a strong sense of right and wrong, you might be a moral guide. These em ployees hate to see people treated unfairly, which makes them good at resolving disputes and customer service complaints. They abide by the rules and watch out for dubious practices. At the same time, they have a good sense of empathy and understand the importance of being flexible. These employees are vital for the smooth running of any payroll department.Confidentiality is essential in payroll, where employees have access to so much privileged data. A large part of navigating ethics involves understanding the rules, so demonstrate your mastery of issues such as data protection and compliance requirements during interviews.Whatever attribute you emphasize in the interview, the most important thing is to be honest. Dont pretend to be someone youre not, and be ready to talk in depth about any aspect of your personality. The most important personality trait at an interview is sincerity, and an experienced interviewer will quickly be able to tell if youve got it or not.Looking for more career advice? Subscribe to the accounting and finance blog

Monday, December 16, 2019

Timothy Roufa - The Balance

Timothy Roufa - The BalanceTimothy Roufa - The Balance

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

5 Tips for Finding a Job After Law School

5 Tips for Finding a Job After Law School5 Tips for Finding a Job After Law SchoolAlthough the hiring outlook for recent law school graduates has improved, learning how to find a job remains, well, a job. Legal careers are in flux as traditional business models evolve, and law firms and corporate legal departments face ongoing pressure to deliver more cost-effective services.If youre a job seeker entering this rapidly changing environment, you must be as knowledgeable about how to find a job as you are about contracts and statutes. Consider incorporating these five strategies into your search efforts1. Go the extra mile in law school Earning a high grade point average and participating in extracurricular professional activities - such as doing pro bono work, holding-gesellschaft a leadership role in a law association or publishing articles - will give you an edge in finding a job.Heres an example A newly appointed judge in search of a law clerk received about 75 applications for a position that might have drawn a dozen candidates in the past. To weed out applicants, he eliminated those who hadnt written for their schools Law Review and who didnt have at least a 3.0 GPA. That allowed him to cut the applicant pool by about half, illustrating that what you do in law school does matter.At Robert Half Legal, our recruiting specialists bring decades of experience helping job seekers find great career opportunities. Let us help you find the right job for you.GET HELP FINDING WORK2. Think outside the box Some traditional career routes have narrowed, but legal careers have become more varied and diverse overall. Since law firms may never hire partners include positions within consulting and accounting firms, legal processing outsourcers and corporate compliance roles. When considering how to find a job, be open to some of these nontraditional ways of using your law degree to gain employment.3. Follow trends New opportunities continue to emerge in the legal job market, which makes it essential to stay abreast of trends. A good resource is Robert Half Legals Future Law Office research program, as well as periodic surveys on hiring projections. Knowing how to find a job means keeping up with in-demand practice areas and taking musiknote of the types of positions being created. Shifting needs may suggest that you should target a different practice area than you initially planned.4. Use your career services office Your on-campus career services office can help you find internships, schedule on-campus interviews and become more educated about the legal job market. If anyone knows how to help you find a job, its the career center staff They can provide information on a range of legal jobs, including nontraditional-track positions in law firms and corporations. You can also learn more about interviewing, starting salaries and billable hours expectations, among other topics.5. Adopt multiple strategies Dont rely on just one method to land a position. Its equally important to network online and in person. Join professional groups and stay in touch with law school colleagues and professors. In addition, you may want to research and proactively contact firms, as well as respond to job postings you find through LinkedIn or other sources.Although its ideal to be recruited for a position, dont hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Learning how to find a job after law school is more likely to involve equal parts diligence, networking and luck.For more tips about how to land a job in the legal profession, read the Robert Half Blog.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Hearsay, Lies and Resume Writing Services Nyc

Hearsay, Lies and Resume Writing Services Nyc Resume Writing Services Nyc Fundamentals Explained Choosing a professional resume writer is a worthwhile investment and might even prove to be among the best decisions in your career. If you think you are a fantastic writer, we have some fantastic news for you. Your work is to present the ordinary stuff that happens to you in a manner that will produce the reader want to understand you better. You have to wonder when its right that you look for the support of any essay writer. If its so, then youll be having some difficult time for a student along with being a writer. Our crew of professional resume writers will supply you with a sparkling resume reminding no others. You dont need to be worried about having a resume writer whos unaware of the role which you are applying for. Actually, a seasoned writer can do the job much faster than any student as theyve been writing academic assignments during their entire life. 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Particularly if its linked to the work division youre making use of for. Resume Writing Services Nyc Secrets That No One Else Knows About Hiring managers meet with lots of individuals. Choosing a Professional Resume Writer is an excellent idea for the majority of professionals since resume writing is a distinctive skill. Executives who need to select the most positive reviews on track. Recruiters and hiring managers are really busy folks.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Costly Impact of Bad Hires on the Talent Acquisition Process - Spark Hire

The Costly Impact of Bad Hires on the Talent Acquisition Process - Spark HireAs a talent acquisition professional, you are well aware of how costly the hiring process is for your company both in time and money. Filling an empty role has the potential to create stress on your team, leading to a downturn in productivity. So abfluging the entire process over due to a badeanstalt hire is just not in the cards.But it happens.Everyone has made the not-so-perfect hire at least once. Whether they turned out not to be the best fit for the role or the company culture, merely replacing an ill-fitting employee isnt going to help you recoup your losses. The cost of a bad hire impacts your talent acquisition process for the long run, which means its critical your hiring team understands the various ways poor hiring decisions add up.Here are a number of ways bad hires affect your talent acquisition processesHiring budgets run dryMoney is the most obvious cost to your team. When hiring budgets are already tight, making a bad hire can have negative repercussions on the budget for the rest of the fiscal year. This takes away from the money you could be spending on improving your process to attract, hire, and retain quality hires.In our recent report, How to Make the Most of Your Hiring Budget, we discovered only 63 percent of respondents with a hiring budget of less than $1000 reported their cost-per-hire is less than $1000. And for companies reporting a hiring budget of $1000-$5000, 36 percent of respondents said their cost-per-hire is $1001-$2000. This means many hiring teams spend their entire budget on just one or two new hires.To make matters worse, some hiring pros arent aware of how much hires good or bad cost. A shocking 24 percent of hiring professionals who responded to our hiring budget research said they dont track cost-per-hire and 14 percent dont know the ROI of their hiring tools. In these instances, the cost of a bad hire could easily consume your entire hirin g budget.A SparkHire report found that 24% of hiring professionals dont track cost-per-hire.Click To TweetPrecious time is wastedYou invest a great deal of time sourcing top candidates before funneling talent into your hiring process. But once your offer is accepted and you enter the onboarding stage, your entire team pours invaluable time and resources into acclimating and building relationships with the new hire.Time is money. When this energy is poured into the wrong candidate and the process must start again from square one, the cost in time lost for your team can devastate your talent acquisition strategy.Not to mention, your second-choice candidates arent going to wait around long for a job offer. In fact, according to our 2018 Growth Hiring Trends Report, 49 percent of talent acquisition pros said 7 to 14 days from receipt of an application to offer letter was the norm. Top talent you passed over while wasting time on the wrong candidate has likely moved on to their next offe r.Top talent is not going to wait for you to make an offer while you waste time on the wrong candidates.Click To TweetProductivity wanesOpen roles demand your teams full attention. During the time youre sourcing, recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding a new hire, theyre putting every ounce of effort into filling the empty role responsibilities on top of their own. When a bad hire is made, they may have to make up for mistakes or if you have to refill the position, that additional workload and pressure are prolonged.On top of their increased responsibilities, employees receive less attention from HR and hiring managers during the hiring process. This directly impacts their workflow, which can lead to burnout or overall dissatisfaction in their own role.Ultimately, stress breeds stress. senfgas productivity perpetuates the vicious circle of bad hires, costing your team more time, money, and morale.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Per Diem Pay

Per Diem PayPer Diem PayPer diem is Latin for per day or for each day. While per diem has several meanings, in relation to Human Resources, it is the daily allowance paid to employees for expenses incurred while traveling for business. These expenses could be for lodging, meals, tips, taxi, and other ground transportation fees. Incidental per diem traveling expenses also include such things as dry cleaning, laundry, phone use, WiFi,and room attendant tips. When Per Diem Rates Do Not Apply What a per diem satz does not cover is the cost of transportation to and from an employees place of employment. In that case, employers either pay transportation costs separately- usually directly to the airline, train, bus, and so forth- or, the employees use their own personal source of transportation and are reimbursed according to the IRS mileage reimbursement rate. Examples of Employer Reimbursement for Travel Employers will pay an employees transportation costs separately when an emplo yee works at a drehort for the same company that is different from the location where the employee usually works. For instance, an employees job and office are located in Michigan but, once a month they travel to Pennsylvania to work out of a different regional office for several days. Another example is if an employee trains new employees at their companys locations all over the country and an overnight stay is required at each location. Yet another example is an HR staff person who usually works at the companys main headquarters but each time the company opens a new location she works for a period of time at the new location while she hires and brings staff onboard. All three of these situations would work well with the company paying the employee a per diem because the travel is frequent or lengthy. As such, employees are happy because they dont have to record all expenditures and save receipts as proof. Nor do they need to spend time filling out expense reports. Setting Per D iem Rates An employer sets per diem rates based on a number of factors. These include the cost of travel-related expenses at various locations, the length of time the employee travels away from the office, and the current Federal per diem rate. Most employers use the Federal per diem rate and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is the governing body that establishes Federal per diem rates each year on October 1. The GSA establishes travel policy including per diem rates (but only) for federal employees on official travel away from their local station, or areas of job location, as defined by their agency. Companies tend to use the Federal per diem rate because per diem payments above the Federal rate are taxable income for employees on their W-2 forms. For more about the intricacies of per diems and taxation, see per diem rates at U.S. Business Law and Taxes. Understandably, the per diem rates of employers are normally set at different amounts for different locations and vary by the level of travel expenses the employee will experience. Employees traveling to Las Vegas, NV, for example, receive approximately one-third the per diem reimbursement that an employee traveling to New York City would receive based on local expenses (in Federal rates). Benefits of the Per Diem Rate Employees are spared the time that they would otherwise invest in keeping track of expenses, saving receipts, and filling out expense reports when they return to the office. Employees are allowed to keep the money that they dont spend while traveling which can encourage thrift and discourage overspending. The employer benefits because they dont have to invest staff time reviewing expenses, vetting the amount of money spent, and the employees time spent filling out paperwork. In essence, the employer is saying that they have budgeted the amount of money they are willing to spend on employee travel and the employee was notified before they incurred the expenses. The per diem pr ocess can result in substantial savings for the employer as opposed to businesses that pay actual employee expenses. And of course, it is unwise and anti-employee to expect employees to cover their own expenses when they travel on legitimate business pursuits. Per Diem Employment In some occupations and industries, per diem can also refer to short-term, temporary employment. This daily schedule usually consists of several days of employment for a per diem employee asked to fill in for a sick or vacationing employee. Two examples are substitute teachers and health care workers that are paid by the day.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp

Surviving Coast Guard Boot CampSurviving Coast Guard Boot CampJust like the Air Force and the Navy, the Coast Guard only has one location for enlisted boot camp Cape May, New Jersey. Male and female recruits train together. Coast Guard boot camp is run just like any other military boot camp. Expect to spend a total of 53 days in Cape May. Before You Leave for Coast Guard Boot Camp One of the first things youll experience at Cape May is a complete search of your personal possessions. Anything not approved will be confiscated and stored until after graduation. Set up a bank account (with an ATM card) before you leave. All of your military pay will be made by direct deposit. Bring $50 in cash in small bills to cover purchases during boot camp. If you are married, bring a copy of your marriage certificate. This will be required to start up your housing allowance and to complete paperwork for your spouses military ID card. As with the other services, no smoking is allowed during boot camp. If you dont know how to swim, try to learn before you leave for boot camp. Soon after you arrive, youll be screened for swimming skills, and those that cant swim will have to undergo special instruction. Memorize Coast Guard ranksbefore you leave. This will be one of the first things youll be required to study. Youll also want to know the Coast Guard Core Values and your Basic Training chain of command. Medication in Boot Camp Over-the-counter medication is not allowed in basic training. If you bring any with you, it will be taken away. All prescription medication will be re-evaluated by a military doctor upon arrival. If the doctor determines that the prescription is necessary, the civilian medication will be taken away, and the recruit will be re-issued the medication by the military pharmacy. This includes birth control pills. Family Communication During Coast Guard Boot Camp Before you leave home, tell your family that if an emergency arises (a real emergency, such as a death or serious illness in the immediate family) they should contact you through the Red Cross. Within three days of arriving, youll be sending a preprinted postcard home that has your company address on it. Its a good idea to call your family from the USO after you arrive. You are allowed to bring your cell phone, but you may not receive or make personal phone calls for granted liberty on Sunday of the final two weeks of training. Any future phone calls you make while in boot camp will be at the discretion of your Company Commander. First Day at Coast Guard Boot Camp No matter what time you arrive at Cape May, your first day will not end until about 0030 (1230 a.m.). Once you hit the racks on that first night, you wont have much time for sleep. A Company Commander will be screaming and yelling at you at 0530 (530 a.m.). You will begin your adventures with the Coast Guard upon arriving at Philadelphia International Airport. Once you arrive, you are required to retrieve yo ur bags, then report immediately to the USO. When the bus arrives at the Recruit Processing Center on Cape May, you will be greeted by your Company Commander (CC). It may not be the friendliest of greetings, but youll know youve arrived. Next, youll begin the in-processing tasks. Youll be issued a book known as the Helmsman, and anytime you are not actively doing something, the CCs will expect you to be reading this book. Youll spend your first hours of boot camp filling out forms and giving a urine to test for drugs and alcohol. Women will also be given a pregnancy test. Virtually every task youre ordered to do is timed five seconds to write a name on a tag, ten seconds to find the paperwork, etc. And a Company Commander provides cadence, like a countdown. If you make a mistake, you will be yelled at. Its that simple mistake equals yelling. Its all part of the process to build a disciplined member of the Coast Guard. In-Processingat Coast Guard Boot Camp The next two days will be spent filling out forms and getting military haircuts. Youll undergo medical and dental screenings, get a whole bunch of shots, and receive your first uniform issue. Anytime youre not actively doing something, youll have your head buried in your Helmsman book. On the second day, youll undergo a urinalysis test. You cannot wear contact lenses during basic training. You can only wear your civilian glasses until you receive a pair of military-issue glasses, which are what youll wear for the majority of boot camp. Once you graduate from basic training, you can wear your civilian glasses again, as long as they conform to military dress and appearance regulations. On the fourth day, your entire company will be escorted to meet your Company Commander and his/her assistants. This day starts your official boot camp training. Coast Guard Boot Camp Week One The first week will be the toughest. Just like the other military boot camps, youll probably find that nobody does anything right d uring this first week of training. During this time, the CC is going to be evaluating everyone to hand out additional duties. Every day starts at 0530 (except Sundays when you get to sleep 15 minutes later), and lights out is at 2200 (1000 p.m.). During the first week, youll be introduced to strenge ausbildung and begin (almost) daily physical exercises. Additionally, youll undergo a class on the Uniform Code of Military Justice, where you will learn about punishable offenses. In the Coast Guard, if you fall behind on training, you can be reverted. This means sending you back to another company several days (or weeks) behind your current unit This is the primary threat that CCs use to keep troops motivated. Like the other services, you can earn demerits when you do something wrong (the Coast Guard calls them performance indicators or performance trackers). Coast Guard Boot Camp Weeks Two and Three The serious classroom work begins during week two. Youll receive classes on milita ry civil rights, stress management, the Coast Guard boot camp chain of command, rates andranks, and addressing military personnel (Officers are called Sir, or Maam, enlisted are addressed by their rank and last name). Youll also take a survival float test. During the third week, youll get training in the Freedom of Information Act, deckhand protective equipment, sexual harassment, the Montgomery GI Bill, Coast Guard history, Coast Guard missions and traditions, deck seamanship, advancements, lines, knots and marlinspike, an introduction to the 9mm handgun. Unlike the other military services, you wont get to fire the M-16 rifle in Coast Guard basic training, but you will get a chance to fire the 9mm during week four of your training. Coast Guard Boot Camp Week Four During the fourth week, the training courses will include leave and liberty, rating and nonrating duties, classified material, uniform devices, vessels and aircraft, performance evaluations, and the assignment process. Youll also visit the 9mm handgun range and fire the M-9 handgun. At the end of the fourth week, youll take mid-term exams, covering everything youve learned to this point. If you fail the exam, youre allowed one re-test. If you fail the retest, expect to be rephased to learn it all over again. Also during the fourth week, youll take your PT test. If you fail this test, youll be required to get up each day one hour before everyone else and attend the special training. If you cannot complete the requirements by the seventh week of training, youll be reverted. In order to graduate Coast Guard Boot Camp, you will have to meet the following physical standards EventMaleFemalePush-ups (60 sec)2915Sit-ups (60 sec)3832zustrom (1.5 miles)12511526Sit and Reach16.5019.29Complete a swim circuitTread water for 5 minutesJump off a 6-foot platform and swim 100 meters About halfway through the fourth week, your company will finally get its company colors. To celebrate, the Company Commanders take t he entire company down the beach for a few hours of incentive training exercises. At the end of the fourth week, you will fill out an Assignment Data Card (ADC). This is how you tell the Coast Guard which assignment you want. You request your assignment first by geographic location, then type of unit (i.e. cutter, small boat station, patrol boat, etc.) Coast Guard Boot Camp Weeks Five and Six In the fifth week, youll learn about deck maintenance and painting, survival equipment, boat crew and buoyancy, Coast Guard terms, ethical conduct, personal floatation devices, emergency drills, emergency equipment, flags, and pennants, and youll take a personal finance class. At the end of the fifth week, youll find out what your next duty station is going to be. The week after that youll get training in fire prevention, fire extinguishing methods, firefighting equipment, engineering, watchstanding, hose handling techniques, and career counseling. Coast Guard Boot Camp Week Seven Durin g this week, youll get training on heaving lines, line handling, and review the Coast Guard alcohol and drug policy. The seventh week is the big one. This is the week of your final exam and final PT test for those who are in remedial PT training. You must pass both in order to graduate. If you fail either one, you get one retest. If you fail the retest, expect to be reverted to an earlier company to try again later. If you pass your final exam and PT Test and havent racked up performance indicators, at the end of week seven youll get an eight-hour pass to go off base. Graduation From Coast Guard Boot Camp The final week is a breeze. Youll receive your assignment, and do the paperwork to prepare for graduation and departure. Youll receive some classes on first aid and prepare for your assignment. Finally, on Friday morning, youll march in the graduation parade. During the graduation ceremony, awards will be presented. The Coast Guard awards the honor graduate ribbon to the top th ree percent of each graduating company. Individual awards are also given for the highest achievements in academics, seamanship, leadership, manual of arms proficiency, pistol expert fire, physical fitness and for the best shipmate. The Coast Guard is different from the other military services, in that all of the out-processing (assignment) is done before graduation, so recruits are free to depart Cape May immediately after the graduation ceremony.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How to Become a Police Dispatcher

How to Become a Police DispatcherHow to Become a Police DispatcherTwenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, police officers are out there, on patrol and working hard to keep the rest of us safe and secure. But they cant do it alone. In every department, there is plenty of non-sworn kooperation personnelwho make sure officers have the help they need to do their jobs. On the front lines of the law enforcement support field are those people who decided they wanted to become police dispatchers. The Minimum Requirements One thing that makes police dispatching such a great career opportunity is that there are very few minimum requirements. In fact, dispatching is one of a few criminal justice jobs many people can probably qualify for right out of high school. In most states, to be eligible for a dispatching job you must be a United States citizen and be a high school graduate (or equivalent GED). Because you will be spending a lot of time talking to many different people, some department s may also require you to show some work experience in customer service or other public contact occupations. What Skills and Credentials Are Needed for Success Minimum qualifications are one thing. Developing the skills, you need for long-term success is something else entirely. Despite the relatively few minimum requirements, dispatchers play a critical role in the success and safety of the officers they support. To be truly successful in the job, you need to be able to communicate effectively and articulately, think nicht weit davon entfernt sein on your feet and make good decisions. Typing and data input is also a mustbecause dispatchers use computer-aided dispatch (CAD) programs to take in, record and prioritize calls for service and officer activities. For your own personal wellness, youll also need to be able to effectively manage stress, accept criticism, and be able to get along well with your coworkers Background Investigation Requirements Not only do dispatchers se rve as a lifeline for both the public and the police, but they also have access to sensitive and protected information through the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). All of that means dispatchers must pass a fairly thorough background investigation which might even include a polygraph exam to get hired. Required Education and Training No matter what state or jurisdiction you get hired in, youll need to receive some stringent on-the-job training, if only to be familiar with agency policies, procedures, and equipment. More likely, though, youll need to pass a formalized 911 operator certification program. The training usually consists of legal and liability training, CPR, CJIS full-access certification and a formal field-training program. What to Consider When Becoming a Police Dispatcher Police dispatching, like law enforcement, isnt for everyone. The fact is, these jobs often involve high stress and little thanks. You will spend long days indoors, working shift wo rk, looking at computer screens and talking on the radio or the phone to a diverse group of people. On the other pfote, youll be part of an important and often overlooked group of professionals who have a big hand in helping keep their communities safe.