Saturday, May 30, 2020

Work-Related Stress Causing Burnout for Nurses

Work-Related Stress Causing Burnout for Nurses With the Coronavirus pandemic gripping most of the globe it comes as no surprise there is considerable pressure on our medical staff. Frontline medical workers such as doctors and nurses bear the brunt of a world health crisis like the one we are currently facing. It will be no surprise that research has found a fifth of nurses in the UK (21%) describe their mental state as “poor”. The results from the study carried out by Randstad suggests that while gender makes little difference to wellbeing (women: 21%; men: 20%), age does.   The mental health of younger nurses is worse than average â€" with half (50%) of 26-30-year-old nurses describing their mental health as poor. The research, based on a poll of 300 nurses across the UK, suggested different contracts made a difference.   A quarter (25%) of nurses working in permanent positions said they would describe their mental wellbeing as “poor” compared to 13% doing shift work. Three in every ten nurses (30%) report that their mental health is deteriorating.   The situation is worse for women than men, with 31% of women reporting their mental health had deteriorated over the last year, compared to a quarter (25%) of men.   Worst affected were full-time permanent nurses â€" more than a third (35%) said their mental health was deteriorating. CAUSE: WORK PRESSURE Almost two thirds (63%) of nurses reported that work pressure was a significant factor negatively affecting their mental wellbeing â€" and half of those polled (50%) say increasing work pressures were contributing to mental health conditions through a place of work.   Four in every five (82%) said their employer does not do enough to support them. Victoria Short, managing director of Randstad, said:  â€œNurses are suffering from care-giver fatigue.   The risk of getting depression from your job is raised if you work outside the typical 9-to-5, as many nurses do â€" people who work irregular hours or night shifts are 33% more likely to have depression.   Not only do nurses work anti-social hours, but the work-related stress they operate under is also intense.   We need to be supporting them, not piling more work and responsibility on their shoulders.   We need a comprehensive strategy to reduce work-induced burnout and improve the mental health of our nurses.   An energized, engaged, and resilient nursing workforce is essential to achieving the UK’s national health goals.” RAMIFICATIONS: SICK DAYS + EXODUS FROM PROFESSION This is having a detrimental effect on the health service.   On average, nurses say they took off 2 ½ days sick leave last year due to mental health conditions alone.   The situation in the capital was far worse.   Nurses in London report they took 5 ¼ days sick leave last year on account of their mental health. One in six (17%) of nurses said they were planning to leave the profession in the next 12 months due to work-related mental wellbeing (another 11% said they’d leave but for different reasons).   Across the UK, the situation was worse in Scotland, where 40% said they’d leave.   In England, the South West was the worst hit with 24% of nurses saying they were planning to leave in the next year due to their mental health. The ramifications may be even more serious in the future.   Randstad’s poll also revealed that only 18% of nurses would recommend working in this profession to someone else â€" while 82% said they would not.   A sixth (16%) of those working in a permanent position said they’d advocate the profession â€" which was lower than the fifth (20%) of those working more flexibly. Victoria Short said: “Rather than leaving the sector altogether, it would be better if we could persuade more permanent nurses to consider flexible working to relieve the pressure.   To do that, we will need to change hearts and minds in the wider media which frequently portray agency nursing as the profession’s ugly sister.” TIPS FOR DEALING WITH WORK-RELATED STRESS Randstad has collaborated with nurse and Love Island star Rachel Fenton, to produce a video which shares Rachel’s top tips for dealing with stress at work and managing your mental health. Her top tips for keeping your mental health in check include: Incorporating exercise into your daily routine Napping before night shifts Taking vitamin D supplements if you aren’t seeing enough daylight on the ward Take time off work â€" book a summer holiday or look to work more flexibly Meal prepping and drinking 3 liters of water a day to help you eat clean and stay off the coffee! About the author:  Founded in 1960,  Randstad is an international recruitment and HR consultancy headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands.   It operates in 38 countries, serves 280,000 clients, and employs approximately 38,000 people.   Last year, Randstad trained more than 350,000 people and helped more than two million candidates find jobs, generating €23.7bn worth of revenues.   Randstad N.V. is listed on the NYSE Euronext (symbol: RAND.AS).

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Writing a Summary of Qualifications For a Resume

Writing a Summary of Qualifications For a ResumeWriting a summary of qualifications for a resume is a common task that many employers perform. This is one of the most important parts of the job application process. It allows you to demonstrate how serious you are about the job and gives you an opportunity to create a perfect resume that you will use to show your skills and qualifications.Most job applicants send a cover letter with their resumes. However, when you write a summary of qualifications for a resume, this is a chance to make your resume stand out. This letter gives the employer an idea of what kind of person you are. You want the letter to be professional, with some humor thrown in, but it should be well-written and provide all the information necessary to properly complete the resume.Many companies now accept resumes from candidates for various positions, but they do not interview them for those positions. Instead, they simply need to gather information about the candidat e and hire them based on their resume. When you write a summary of qualifications for a resume, it is important to spell out all of the information required to clearly present the person's qualifications.The first thing you should do is identify the specific job duties that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. You can't merely state that you will do 'essential' work for the position. You must provide the reader with a description of how the job description applies to you.The next thing you should do is provide a detailed summary of your academic qualifications and the specific courses that you have taken or are currently enrolled in. This includes dates, grades, and letter grades. You should also provide your highest grade and a description of the course. If you have taken classes that are related to the job and were not offered at a college or university, include those in your summary. The next part of the summary should give a summary of your career goals. Make sure you give a concise account of your goals, and how you intend to achieve them. Explain how you plan to achieve these goals using your skills and experience, and how each project will help you achieve your goals.Finally, give a brief summary of any professional organizations that you belong to and the groups that you are active in. Your summary should include your interest in the activities or service to which you belong. This helps you provide a more accurate and genuine summary of your skills.If you plan to write a summary of qualifications for a resume, you should be ready to spend some time. Be sure to take the time to prepare and review your resume thoroughly. The potential employer will evaluate the resume based on how well it fits the applicant's skills and job requirements.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Three Important Facts About Your Cover Letter You Should Know

Three Important Facts About Your Cover Letter You Should Know Three Important Facts About Your Cover Letter You Should Know Many job seekers question the need for a cover letter to go with their resume. Is a cover letter really needed any longer? Would an employer care if I didnt include a cover letter when submitting my resume for a job application?Cover letters remain an essential part of the job application for many employers. Even if some extra work is required to make a good cover letter, it is a wise move to include one with your resume. It can make all the difference about being awarded an interview spot or not. Cover letters â€" whats the point?When you are busy looking for a new job and completing lots of applications, the last thing you want is to add an extra time-consuming task to your workload. Many job seekers dont feel very comfortable or confident about writing a cover letter but worry not, it’s easier than you think. Your cover letter is a valuable tool that helps to deliver that bit of extra information and a deeper insight into your personality and life skills that an employer will appreciate knowing.With this in mind, let’s understand why your cover letter is necessary and how you can use it to your advantage.1: Employers find them usefulWhile it may be true that most large corporations dont have the time to read over cover letters that are submitted with job applications, there are many more small and medium-sized businesses that do still appreciate them.You may have heard the saying that most employers spend just a few seconds scanning over a resume looking for those specific keywords that they are looking for. When they spot relevant keywords mentioned, then the resume will be kept for further scrutiny. Generic resumes that dont contain any keywords or phrases related to the job position on offer will quickly be discarded.Those resumes that make the grade will now be in a hot competition with all the other resumes that also made it through the first skim. Employers will then go on to read these resumes more thoroughly to create their shortlist for inter view. However, when faced with two or three candidates with matching skills and experience that make them suitable for the job, they will often need to do a bit more digging. By supplying your cover letter, you are saving the employer a lot of extra work by delivering the information they need to make a decision. Many employers have reported that when faced with a choice between two or three equal candidates, they will choose the one that bothered to submit extra information in the form of a cover letter over the one(s) that didnt.2: Recruiters are not the only ones involved in hiring staffDuring the hiring process, the first line of staff that sit and sort through potentially hundreds of job applications are only involved in the first step of the recruitment process. Often these guys are not the final decision makers, so even if they dont have time to read your cover letter, someone further down the line will appreciate the effort you took to submit one.Resumes and cover letters that make it through the screening process will be passed on to other managers and department heads that are involved in finding the right candidate to fill a position within their team. They will see you as someone that is willing to take the time and effort to provide more information and to take that extra step towards securing an interview. Your cover letter has just added a great value to your application!3: Make reference to your social mediaWhile you need to keep your cover letter short and sweet (check our best examples here), you dont want to overwhelm the employer with too much information â€" or provide too little! Your cover letter can be a convenient tool to summarize your key skills and experience that make you perfect for the role, but you can also link to your social media pages, giving the employer a chance to find out more about you, should they want to.Just make sure that your social media pages are up to date and the information you post on there matches up with the information that you supply in your cover letter. Think of your social media pages as being an extension of your cover letter where you can quickly deliver more evidence of what makes you the perfect candidate. previous article Free Basic Resume Template The Conservative next article A Powerful Makeover Resume Template Freebie you might also likeTen Quick Tips to Nail The Cover Letter Format

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

What Keeps Your Good People - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Keeps Your Good People - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Companies have long recognized the importance of smart employee recruiting. Now they are discovering that it’s just as important to spend their time on retention. This may involve financial factors, of course. AON Consulting studied 1,140 high-tech workers and found that 56 percent would stay at their current job longer if offered a similar job with slightly higher pay. But issues related to job satisfaction are at least as crucial as financial incentives. “You rehire your employees every single day,” says Gloree Parker-Roden, senior vice president of Enterprise Services at Pearson Technology Centre. “We have no problem with retention until a time period where we went into a maintenance program without a major initiative going. Things felt slow to people. We found that the same people who complained about long hours and overwork really didn’t want to underwork either.” In other words, high retention of valuable employees requires keeping them challenged and interested as well as rewarding them financially. In a research project, Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that the number-one driver of employee commitment is trust in senior management. If a manager fails to provide the necessary leadership, then people leave. Gloree Parker-Roden speaks for many when she says, “The important thing to me is being able to work with managers I respect and trust. If that was broken, then I would go.” The Watson Wyatt survey identified other factors that caused people to leave an employer. Here they are, starting with the most commonly cited: Higher salaries offered by other organizations Dissatisfaction with potential career grow Feeling unappreciated Rising acceptability of job-hopping Difficulty balancing work/life issues Burnout Benefits offered by other organizations Perceived lack of job security Conflicts with supervisor or co-workers Viability of the organization Conflicts with the organization’s mission or values Salary is clearly an important factor, but it’s far from the only one. Any manager who has a high turnover rate shouldn’t blamed the company pay scale alone; instead, the manager should examine his or her own practices in the work environment.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Writing Details of Customer Service Experience on Resume

Writing Details of Customer Service Experience on ResumeWriting details of customer service experience on resume is very important. This is an additional way of demonstrating expertise in an area that can make or break your chances in a particular job. Most applicants do not know the ways to write these details on resume and yet, most of them do it.First thing you need to learn in writing the details of customer service experience on resume is writing down everything that you experienced from your customer. You should also list down everything that happened after the customer hired you.First thing to remember is that you should never try to be too friendly or too direct to your customers. You can also make it easy for your customers by explaining the business process to them. Instead of making customers wait while you explain something to them, you can give them concise information so that they can understand it without your having to sit and explain it to them.Writing details of cus tomer service experience on resume is also important because it lets potential employers see your knowledge. You should be able to relate your customer's problems with your business. In addition, if you have a background in computer related stuff, you should add it in your resume. It will definitely be a good asset for you.Write down every detail of customer service experience on resume in a logical order. To make it more professional, list down your experiences on one section while the order of the things you experienced must be in the chronological order. This will help your readers identify your skills.You should always give a clear explanation of your customer service experience on resume. No matter how simple or complicated the situation is, you should mention it. Write down each thing that you did to solve the problem.Writing details of customer service experience on resume is also important because it can help you boost your confidence as a customer. So, do not hesitate to re veal yourself as a person who can really help people. However, do not exaggerate your achievements in a specific area.Writing details of customer service experience on resume is also important because it gives an opportunity to people who hire you to read what they are hiring. It is possible that they may be interested in the same work that you are. If they find something that you can do in this field, you can easily get their attention.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Fix Your Career in 5 Steps

Fix Your Career in 5 Steps I HATE MY JOB! It’s a phrase that is commonly heard by friends, family members and even co-workers. It can be a temporary feeling based on workload, team dynamics, or a difficult relationship with your manager. Sometimes you cant avoid this, however, the best thing is to address these feelings not only so you feel better sooner but also so you reduce the chances of feeling this way again. So what can you do? Evaluate the Situation What is causing the unhappiness? Is it the job? Is it a specific task/project? Is it a relationship with your co-worker or boss? Helping identify the cause will help you assess what your next steps are. Identify Your Next Move If you are looking for a new job, what will be your first step? Just starting the process of looking for a new job can, in many cases, cause you to put the job unhappiness on the back burner while you focus on your next goal. Next, set goals for the job search and target dates for when to finish those goals. Make sure to set aside time in your search to accomplish those goals. When you work full-time, it can be difficult to find time to conduct a job search, but keep those goals in mind. Relieve Stress and Smile To address your unhappiness in the short-term, identify things that make you smile or relieve stress. This could be as easy as listening to your favorite music at work, getting fresh air, exercising at lunchtime or treating yourself to a snack that you enjoy. Exercise is a wonderful way to let go of your aggression, increase your endorphins, and help you maintain a positive outlook. Learn a New Skill Take time to learn a new skill, either personally or professionally. This can help shift your focus from the unhappiness at work to the positive feeling of learning a new skill. Who knows? This new skill could help in your search for a new career. Resist Sharing with Co-Workers Keep your unhappiness to yourself at work and away from your co-workers. It’s hard when you are unhappy at work not to share it with the people you spend so much time with. Oftentimes, though, the people you are complaining to can’t help improve your situation. More often, this type of information can further hurt your situation by spreading to the wrong people. Unhappiness in a job is natural. Almost all of this will be unhappy at some point in our career. For some it is short-lived and for others it is more regular. Remember that it’s easy to get wrapped up the feeling of unhappiness. The feelings can sometimes keep us from seeing opportunities or other ways we can begin to make the situation more positive. Follow the tips above and youll be on your way to feeling much happier! So how do you handle those I hate my job days? Let us know in the comments below.

Friday, May 8, 2020

How Do You Fill The Gaps In Your Working Knowledge - CareerAlley

How Do You Fill The Gaps In Your Working Knowledge - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Despite what your resume says, no matter how impressive it is, you are still only human. This is not supposed to denigrate you, of course, being human is not a bad thing. In fact, its all you or I know. This means from time to time we will have our successes, and we will have our failures. Despite what your resume says, no matter how impressive it is, you are still only human. This means that from time to time you will have your successes, and you will have your failures. Tweet This Of course, while reflecting on success can be informative, its never as useful as focusing on what went wrong as part of this full inquiry. As such, it can be worthwhile to consider the gaps in your knowledge regarding a topic, especially if it comes to something you have forgotten. We may have qualifications on our resume that hold skills we have yet to use since that time ten years ago, and this can be a problem if an immediate necessity for said skills come into play, especially if you have been recruited for them. How do you fill the gaps in your working knowledge well? Is it possible to do without a shameful pause? Wed say absolutely, and heres why: Read Around The Subject Theres no shame in hitting the textbooks to understand your own subject. Read around your subject, too. One reference can open a link to another thing you missed, and this can continue until you once again partake in a refreshers course of your own making. Additionally, consult old study materials you may have kept, or partake in some exercises you used to. Investing in your personal image and practicing your interview techniques can have a telling impact too. Coaches can help you prepare for those challenges, which can make you more employable. While out of work, it may be worth taking on some voluntary work. Not only does it look great on your resume, but it also keeps you motivated and in good spirits. Skills That Can Boost Your Career Prospects You would be surprised just how much this can fill in the void. Imagine your set of knowledge as not a vessel to be filled and to be carried, but a fire to be kindled. Its okay if some of the raging infernos have turned to embers as the decades pass. As long as you stoke those fires through this practice a little, youll be able to return to your peak performance. Take Extra Training Again, theres no shame in taking a refreshers course, or even taking a new qualification to see what the current thinking is. For example, it might be that technology is changing in your field once again, to the point where best practice means understanding the software you need to use. Consider how film editors work. Every ten years there will be a new industry-standard software package they have to use, and while they can translate some of the logic to their new platform, starting from scratch can ensure you keep none of the bad habits you have built. This is important. Volunteer For Placements Volunteer for placements. From time to time, there may be an extra-curricular activity at your place of employment, or a training schedule you may wish to partake in. Not only can this help you look engaged and give you a shot at an upcoming promotion for your presence, but it may actually come in very useful one day. Do not turn your nose up at anything. Sure you maybe forty-five years old while managing a large department, but are you really too good to take that first-aid course? Who knows if you may or may not save a life one day. Its this receptivity and willingness to learn that can help you stay learning no matter how experienced you have become. Research Online Failing to make use of online platforms now is tantamount to never picking up a book. Theres almost no way to ignore it and still be at the top of your game or competent. From resources such as Kahn Academy that allow you to take certain courses for free, sites that help you learn programming languages, dedicated forums discussing your chosen specialism, or excellent DIY options you can find at The Tool Report, the possibilities are limitless when it comes to auto-didacts who just wish to refine their competence a little. This isnt even to mention the vast amount of online degrees you can focus on online, some of them potentially helping you become the hireable juggernaut you may have wished to become all along. To Summarize This is a fast-paced world and becoming more so all the time. Skills that were conventionally useful are becoming less so. For example, the interpersonal charm is becoming less of a valued skill in a world where brevity in digital communication is seen as a virtue. What matters is learning what the new norm is, and finding a means to apply your best value through that. If you can, and use these methods, youll fill those gaps in your knowledge well. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search