Back To The Drawing Board

Have you ever sat in the doctor’s exam room and looked at those drawings on the walls? You know, the ones that show what the intestines look like or how your heart works? Did you ever wonder about where they came from? They come from the field of Medical Illustration. A medical illustrator is a professional artist who works strictly in the medical field. They draw the illustrations in medical books, journals, magazines and educational films. Sometimes they are used to make models and create artificial body parts, like ears and noses, for patients that are deformed or are going to have reconstructive surgery.

If you’re interested in a career in this medical field, you should be proficient in a number of mediums. Your skills should range from advanced drawing, painting and sculpture techniques to concepts and techniques in the production of commercial and graphic art. You should also have up-to-date computer graphic skills in still and motion media. Some medical illustrious specialize in different fields such as forensic reconstruction or the making of prostheses. You should take college prep in high school that is strong in art and science. In college you should major in either art and minor in science or major in science and minor in art. Undergraduate science classes are the same as required for the medical school. You will need a master’s degree from a program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs.

A lot of medical illustrators choose to enhance their careers by becoming board certified. If you chose to do this, you will require a graduate degree in medial illustration, a portfolio review and completion of a national examination This is a program endorsed by the Association of Medical Illustrators. When you are board certified, it shows that you have passed examinations dealing with business practices, ethics, biomedical science and drawing skills. This certificate isn’t a requirement but it does show your current competency in your chosen profession .

You should enjoy working alone and in teams during problem solving sessions and be able to work closely with clients. You should be able to not only understand the project you’re undertaking but be able to meet the client’s unspoken needs as well. Other illustrators become part of a medical research team, some become content experts or computer modeling, animation and interactive design. It also helps if you have an eye for detail, enjoy and have a natural ability in both art and science. Having a strong foundation in biological and medical science is also necessary to be able to visualize and then draw what you are seeing

Medical illustrators work in a variety of places, some which are surprising. Here’s a list of some of the places you can find jobs:

-University, medical center, hospital clinic, or health care institution
-Publishing company
-Corporation, small business
-Web, multimedia, or animation firm
-Veterinary school


The employment outlook for medical illustrators is good due to the specialized nature of the work and the limited number of medical illustrious graduating each year. Patients growing demand to better understand what is going on with their bodies and medical options has increased the demand for medical illustration to explain them to the public. Is this a career that appeals to you? The field is wide open and the choice is yours.

by Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Beyond.com, for HealthCareJobSite.com. She also has other blogs at HeathcareJobsite.blog

Some Shocking Signs That Poverty is Hitting America - Hard

Oakland Police facing deep cuts

There is no doubt about it, the economic situation in our country is getting worse. Although there has been some hopeful signs in regards to jobs and customer spending over the holidays, our Federal and State governments have been facing huge budget cuts and funding shortages. As anyone who has been out of work, looking for a job or has had their salaries or benefits cut can tell you, it is tough out there. We, as Americans have had it good for a long time and we often look at other countries that are struggling with national poverty and budget cuts and think that it couldn't happen here. But, it is happening, and I was shocked to see an article on BusinessInsider that showed some of the ways that budget shortfalls are forcing city and state governments into a situation where they are forced to cut out desperately needed services for the communities they serve.

Here are some of the signs that poverty is hitting our country hard:

• Detroit Public Schools wants to close half of all of its city schools, which would cause the schools to have class sizes of up to 62 students and cut 642 jobs.
  
  

• 

  Abandoned Factory in Detroit

  The Mayor of Detroit recently proposed a plan that will stop services like garbage pickup and police patrols to 20% of the city. They already have stopped trying to prevent people from vandalizing abandoned factories in the city and have left them to the gangs.
  
  
• In California, state workers are being required to turn in their government cell phones.
  
  
• New York Gov. Cuomo is trying to completely get rid of 20% of the state's agencies by combining several agencies.
  
  
• Mayor Bloomberg has closed 20 fire departments at night in NYC and is proposing layoffs in every state agency. The cuts included stopping services for seniors, libraries and cultural centers.
  
  
• In Prichard, Alabama, the city recently just stopped sending pension checks to their retirees. Even though it is a violation of state law, hundreds of retired firefighters, police officers and other city workers aren't receiving their pensions.
  
  
• The state of New Jersey has cut their budget by 26%, and laid off thousands of teachers. They also eliminated 1,3000 state jobs and reduced funding to cities and still are dealing with more that a $10 billion deficit.
  
  
• The city of Newark has been forced to cut its police force. As a result, they have seen a huge crime spike.
  
  

• 

  Neighborhood in Camden, NJ

  Camden, NJ has the title of the second-most dangerous city in America and they have been forced to lay off half of their police force.
  
  
• Philadelphia, Baltimore and Sacramento have started shutting down city fire stations on a rotating basis causing people to have longer response times and costing lives.
  
  
• Clayton County, GA has been forced to eliminate their public bus system in order to save $8 million.
  
  
• Oakland, CA police will now stop responding to several types of crimes in an attempt to save money. The crimes considered “not important” are car accidents, grand theft and burglary.

It seems that across the country, jobs and budgets are being cut and citizens are being forced to go without some of the valuable services that we all rely on. No one can argue that police, fire departments, teachers and libraries are important but, without the money to finance pay for them, cities are being forced to make tough choices.

What do you think about these signs that our country is in a serious financial crisis. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

If you are looking for a new job in the Philadelphia area, be sure to stop by PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Healthcare Workers Face Increased Injury Risks

by Alex A. Kecskes

As the second-fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, the healthcare industry employs well over 12 million workers—nearly 80 percent of whom are women.

These workers face many on-the-job hazards, including back injuries, latex allergy, violence and elevated stress. One particularly worrisome hazard is the stick/cut injury.

Healthcare workers stuck by needles, scalpels, scissors and lancets are at risk of being infected by any one of more than 60 blood borne diseases--the most worrisome being HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Hospital healthcare workers alone suffer over 385,000 stick/cut injuries annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Such injuries can occur in other healthcare settings, including physician and dentist offices, clinics, nursing homes and even private homes.

Back injuries are another common job-related health problem among healthcare workers. Those most likely to develop a back injury and/or pain are workers whose jobs require them to lift or move patients. Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants have more back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders than any other occupation.

Healthcare employers must develop ergonomics programs with the involvement of their workers to identify and control the risks of back injuries. In addition, safety protocols and safer needles need to be implemented and used to protect healthcare workers from needle-stick injuries and infection.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

For more information on health careers, visit http://www.healthcarejobsite.com/

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.

In The Hot seat - Punches

Breaking into the Philadelphia job market can be tough, but don’t make this mistake when you’re In The Hot Seat.
Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for PhillyJobs she is co-founder of design and promotion company, Creative Kazoo with fellow Beyond.com blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.

6 Percent Of Surgeons Have Considered Suicide This Past Year - What Can We Do About Depression in the Healthcare Industry?

A surprising report from Reuters found that a large number of U.S. surgeons and physicians have struggled with thoughts of suicide, listing burnout and medical errors as possible reasons. The healthcare industry is particularly at risk for employee depression. For those who work in the industry, or are looking for a job in healthcare, mental health issues are a top concern.

The report stated that a research team at the Mayo clinic found that more than 6 percent of surgeons had thoughts of killing themselves within the past year. And what's more, the rate of suicidal thoughts for surgeons between the ages of 55-64 was three times higher.

The report cited a high amount of stress and burnout among physicians as one of the leading cause of these serious consequences for the surgeons and their patience. Although suicidal thoughts don't necessarily endanger patients, the burnout, stress and emotional turmoil can effect the quality of care that patient receive.

One of the biggest problems that faces people in the medical profession who are concerned about depression and having suicidal thoughts is that they often are hesitant to seek treatment, out of fear of losing their medical license. So, they either opt to deal with it themselves or to ask a colleague to prescribe anti-depressants for them. The report showed that only a fourth of doctors who had these types of thoughts sought any sort of help.

It has long been known that people in the healthcare industry have greater risks of depression and suicide than other professions, but the root cause has never been fully understood. If you or someone close to you seems to be struggling with stress or depression, here are some signs (courtesy of WebMd) you should watch out for:

• deep sadness
• loss of interest in things the previously enjoyed
• trouble sleeping and eating
• making comments about being hopeless
• thinking and talking about death
• risk taking behavior
• saying things like “it would be better if I wasn't here.”

If you see several of these signs, it may be time to take the person aside and ask them how they are feeling. Let them know that depression is an illness, not a defect. Make sure that they know that you care about them and encourage them to get help, to get treatment and to not believe the lies that depression will tell them about how much easier it would be if they just ended it all. Depression is a sickness, just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It can cause all sorts of bad things to happen in your body, but it is not brought on by your own weakness. It can be treated and managed. It doesn't have to be a death sentence.

Have you ever dealt with depression or had a loved one suffer with it? What do you think helped the most? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Are you looking for a job in Healthcare? Be sure to visit HealthcareJobSite.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobSiteBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Back to School

Recently, I completed a short stint as a substitute teacher at a local school that specializes in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Most of the students there were enrolled because they wanted to attend an American college or university, something none of them can do without a very good score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). But there were some who were there simply to learn English so they could advance in their chosen careers as scientists, engineers or diplomats.

I was there because enrollments were up and classes were oversubscribed. A colleague explained it to me this way: "When times are tough and jobs are hard to find, people go back to school."

It's not a bad idea. Going back to school while jobless lets you freshen and update your knowledge in your chosen field - or even learn a new one if you would like to expand your employment horizons. Community and technical colleges offer many programs geared towards specific career paths, such as nursing, hospitality and restaurant management, or retail, and the better ones often have ties with employers that can give you a leg up on jobs after you graduate. If you attend an adult learning program at a four-year college or university, you may also be able to use the services of the school's career planning and placement office to identify career paths and jobs you can apply for after receiving your degree.

If you're in management, or considering becoming part of it, a number of area colleges and universities offer programs in organizational dynamics that can help you understand the "biology" and "sociology" of corporate hierarchies. One such program is Penn's program in organizational dynamics, one of the oldest and most respected in the region.

Many working adults find the flexible part-time schedules offered by for-profit career colleges like the University of Phoenix meet their needs for staying up to date on their skills on their own time. Job-seekers can also take advantage of such programs. A number of institutions, both nonprofit and for-profit, also offer degree programs you can complete online for the ultimate in flexibility and convenience.

For Pennsylvanians who are collecting extended unemployment compensation benefits, enrolling in an education or training program meets the job search requirements for filing weekly claims.

The Education Index at PhillyJobs.com contains links to hundreds of college and university programs geared towards working professionals. It's a great place to start your search for education that can help advance your career - or start a new one.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith has been blogging for PhillyJobs.com since 2010. In addition to launching award-winning newspapers and newsletters at the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, Sandy is a veteran writer whose articles and essays have appeared in several local and regional media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, and PGN, and on several Web sites. He is also an active participant on several discussion boards, including PhiladelphiaSpeaks.com, where he posts as “MarketStEl.” He has been supporting himself through a combination of freelance and part-time work and unemployment compensation since early 2009 and is himself an active job-seeker. Read more of his posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com and follow him to Beyond.com for more job opportunities.

HIMT Conference to Address Technolgy and Infrastructure Impacts on Healthcare

by Alex A. Kecskes

Hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide are experiencing major changes--driven by increasing expectations by recipients and healthcare providers. Exploring the underlying causes of these changes, one can't ignore the impact of Healthcare Infrastructure and Medical Technology.

To facilitate a greater understanding of these two major influencers, those working in the healthcare industry are urged to attend the upcoming International Conference on Recent Advances and Future Trends in Healthcare Infrastructure and Medical Technology.

The Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), the Indian Institute of Architects (NC) and Academy of Hospital Administration (AHA)--all have taken the lead to organize this conference. The event is scheduled from February 2nd to the 5th, 2011, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India.

The conference hopes to synergistically unite promoters, healthcare providers, administrators, architects, engineers, project managers & consultants, equipment manufacturers, the pharma industry and other stakeholders for Knowledge Enhancement, Skill Acquisition and Networking. Conference goals include:

• To discuss recent advances and future trends in healthcare infrastructure and their impact on healthcare delivery.
• To discuss advancements and future applications of medical technology in healthcare.
• To dwell upon the impact of technological advances on patient-care provisioning.
• To emphasize the importance of stakeholder synergy and networking in providing optimal healthcare services.

Attending this conference can be very valuable to those employed in the healthcare industry or wishing to enter the field.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

For more information on health careers, visit www.healthcarejobsite.com

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.

Study Shows HIV Patients At Higher Risk Of Stroke

U.S. researchers concluded Wednesday that people infected with the AIDS virus may, in fact, be more than three times more likely to suffer a stroke than those people who are not infected.

While the number of strokes suffered in the U.S. seems to be trending down (7.2% in 2006 compared to 1997), they've significantly spiked in regards to people with HIV, rising an unfathomable 67% during that same time frame.

"Generally speaking, strokes in patients with HIV are not common, so the rise is notable," said Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele of the University of California, San Diego, and the VA San Diego Healthcare System, whose study appears in the journal Neurology.

The study doesn't show why stroke rates are rising, but researchers say the study period coincides with widespread use of drugs used to treat HIV infection. Another possibility - since strokes occur more frequently in older people - these patients who are taking the treatments are prolonging their lives and unfortunately putting themselves in the risk zone for stroke.

The team wants to study the relationship between HIV drugs and stroke more closely.

An estimated 33.3 million people worldwide have the HIV virus that causes AIDS and more than 25 million have died from it. Without treatment, the virus destroys the immune system, leaving patients susceptible to infections and cancer.

More than 20 HIV drugs are now on the market and can be combined in various ways to control the virus.

[via]


Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and social butterfly living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When she's not blogging her little heart out for HealthCareJobsite.com, she moonlights as a jazz musician and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter. To read more of Bambi's posts, head to HealthCareJobsite.com and see additional job postings at Beyond.com.

Job Search 101 - Keep Your Search Organized

Looking for a job in Philadelphia can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like it is just too hard, there is too much to do and when you aren't getting responses as quickly as you like, it is easy to lose hope and start to become frustrated.

They say that to make a task easier, you have to break it down into small steps. So, let's keep breaking down the job search steps, to make sure that you have all of your bases covered:

• Keep your search organized – Once you stop trying to paper the world with your resume, you will be sending out fewer applications, but devoting your time to the ones that matter the most. You can use your newly liberated time and energy to get your job search organized. When you are sending out fewer, but more targeted, resumes, it is easier to keep track of each application.
  
  
  Keep records of which jobs you sent in resumes for, along with a copy of the resume and cover letter you sent them. This way, even though you have tailored the documents for the particular job, you can easily bring the exact copies with you to the interview.
  
  
  It is also a good idea to keep a record of when you applied, when you had an interview and when you followed up. You might also want to keep notes of the main ideas discussed in the interview and any new information you received about the job or the job description.
  It works best if you write down your thoughts after the interview, when you are still going over how it went in your mind. You can write down your impressions of the company, how you think the interview went and if you think that this company will be a good fit for you. Write down an honest list of the things you like about the job and the drawbacks to it as well.
  
  
  This may seem like overkill, but if you get asked to interview at several different places, the information is easy to forget. It has been my experience that I will have a great interview one week, and another a few days later. And then, once the ball is rolling, I might have another one or two in the next week. Then nothing. Finally, after another three weeks of so, company number two calls me in for a second interview or, better yet, offers me the job. But, it never fails that the minute I accept a job, the other companies I interviewed with start calling to make offers as well.
  
  
  And while that is great, I have already made a commitment, and besides, I can't really remember what happened during those particular interviews or why one of them would be better than the other. By keeping these sorts of records, you can easily refresh your memory if you need to later.
  
  
  Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.
  
  
  By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Phillyjobs, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel. To read more of Melissa's blogs, check out Phillyjobsblog.
  
  
  
  

Have You Thought About This Job?

Are you a night owl? Do you function better in the wee hours of the morning? Are you interested in a health career in the Medical Field? Are you interested in a job change? If you answered yes to any of these questions, have I got the perfect job for you!

In the field of sleep technologist, you assist in the evaluation and follow up care of patients with sleep disorders. Credited by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technology, it would allow you to work in sleep centers, laboratories for the sleep related breathing disorders, home environments and non-facility based settings under the direction of a sleep specialist. Some of your duties would be the following:

-Ensuring the instruments are properly functioning
-completing required equipment and patient signals calibrations at beginning and end of the study.
-running continuous polkysomnographic monitoring
-responding to and correcting equipment malfunction
-recognizing sleep stages and wakefulness
-maintaining a log study events and interventions
-making the patient comfortable and safe
-performing evaluation of excessive sleepiness and the ability to maintain wakefulness

You’ll also be having some hands on jobs as well such as reviewing the patients clinical history to understand the sleep related problems they are experiencing. You’ll be recording the patients vital signs of weight, height, neck circumference, medical history and blood pressure. Discussing with the patients ways to help develop better sleep habits that will promote good sleep hygiene will also be one of your duties.

Excellent communication skills are also a plus. You may find yourself talking to the patient about the questions and concerns they might have about the procedure and treatment. You’ll be talking to the patients family, the Sleep Medicine physician, and other technologists and physicians. Communication with the other nighttime workers and also with the daytime co-workers who’ll be taking over the study about concerns, finding and interventions about the patient. You’ll be communicating with the physician through various means including conversation, written logs and electronic logs about the course of the study, significant findings and observations and interventions used and the results of those interventions.

You may be qualified and asked to perform other tasks and duties as well such as administer and manage a sleep center, sleep lab, or other sleep Medicine practice. This would include patient scheduling, material and supply management, supervision of staff, students and other personnel, help with the development of policies and procedures, billing, preventative maintenance and data management. You could also be asked to do clinical and didactic teaching, training, raising public awareness and supervising patient support groups related to sleep disorders.

Some of the physical requirements of this job would be standing, using hands to finger or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance. You would occasionally be asked to walk, sit, stoop, kneel crouch or crawl. You should be able to lift regularly up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and move up to 50 pounds. You also have to have close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

If this jobs sounds like something you’d be interested in, why not take that leap, make a career move and inquire further? It could be just the job in health care you’re looking for!

by

Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 9 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce and the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelance work for Beyond.com, HealthcareJobsite.com and HealthcareJobsiteBlog

Job Search 101 - Only Apply For Jobs That Are Right For You

Looking for a job can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like it is just too hard, there is too much to do and when you aren't getting responses as quickly as you like, it is easy to lose hope and start to become frustrated.

They say that to make a task easier, you have to break it down into small steps. So, let's keep breaking down the job search steps, to make sure that you have all of your bases covered:

Only apply for jobs that are right for you – There seems to be this unshakeable belief that is held by many job seekers that if you spread your resume out you have a better likelihood of getting a positive response. This is not the most effective way to find a job, and certainly isn't a good way to find a job that you would honestly love to do.

Using this approach is similar to a man going to a club and asking each woman there to marry him, until someone accepted. Sure, he would end up with a wife, but you have to wonder, what kind of woman would marry a man without caring if he was right for her? Applying for jobs that you don't want or that aren't right for you, just serves to give you less time to put real thought into writing a cover letter and tailoring your resume for the jobs you really want. You know, the ones you are actually qualified for!

When you take the time to really think about your skills and experience, and the research to find out where the next step in your career is, you will have a better idea of how to market yourself and know where to focus you efforts. With a goal in mind, the other steps will become much easier.

Even though it is common to think that you just want a job, any job, and that keeping your options open will prevent you from ruling anything out, the truth is, keeping the options open means less resources for each prospect. If you aren't sure what job you are looking for, at least narrow it down to two or three job titles. You can customize your resume and your search strategy for these select titles and raise your chances of success.

Just remember, all you need is just one good break. There are no awards for prolific resume sending. So, devote your energy into finding that one break that will get you where you want to be.

Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

President Obama's New Preventive Healthcare Guidelines

by Alex A. Kecskes

Under President Obama's new healthcare guidelines, some preventive health care will be available at no out-of-pocket cost. Things like childhood immunizations, for example. These may require no copays, deductibles, or coinsurance—providing your health insurance plan is covered by the new requirements.

This preventive care does carry an upfront cost. Premiums may go up by 1.5 percent or more as spending for these services is spread across millions of insured people. The prevention requirements take effect for health plans renewing on or after September 23, so most beneficiaries may see them starting January 1. Medicare recipients may also have access to most preventive services at no out-of-pocket cost.

Under the new requirements, health insurance plans must cover the following at no additional charge to their insured members:

• Breast and colon cancer tests
• Screening of pregnant women for vitamin deficiencies
• Tests for diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure
• Counseling to help smokers quit
• Routine vaccines from childhood immunizations to tetanus boosters for adults
• Well-baby visits to a pediatrician
• Vision and hearing tests for children
• Counseling to help youngsters maintain a healthy weight

Women’s health screenings are still in development and not expected to be announced until August 2011.

Large employer plans may not be impacted by these new requirements if they are “grandfathered’’ under the new health law. However, employers are expected to alter their plans and thus could lose their exemption and would need to comply.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.

Dealing With Social Media Remorse - A New Syndrome For Our Era

I think every single one of us has, at one time or another, said something that we regretted. Maybe we said it to a friend of a friend of the person we were mad at, and it got back to them. Or maybe, it was that time you were angry and said some things in the heat of it that you wish you could take back. It can make you feel awful, and unfortunately, there are people who have this happen to them all of the time. Perhaps they have problems filtering what they are feeling before it comes out of their mouths. But, at the worst, only a few other people would be within earshot when they said it. But now, thanks to social networking sites and micro-blogging platforms like Facebook and Twitter, a lapse in judgment can quickly reach many, many people.

New technology is great, but it has its draw-backs. It is easier than ever to share information and stay connected with the people they care about. But, on the other side, it makes it easy to embarrass yourself on a very large scale.

TechRepublic recently reported on this new “Social Media Remorse” issue. Here are a few of the things they found out:

• 32% of people surveyed say they’ve posted something online they regretted.
• Of that 32%: 3% say it ruined their marriage or relationship with someone. 6% of them said it caused problems at work or home.
• Of that 32%: 13% were able to remove the offending post.
• 59% of iPhone users have posted something online they regretted.
• 54% of people under 25 years old have posted something online they regretted.
• Only 27% of people over age 25 have posted something online they regretted.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that so many people under 25 have reported having posted something online that they regret. When I was in my teens and early twenties, I can think of many times I lost my temper or just wasn't mature enough to keep my mouth shut. But luckily, it wasn't as easy for everyone else to find out. Even when I did have access to the internet, anything I was likely to write wouldn't be nearly as easily accessible as it is now, when status updates and Twitter feeds can be delivered straight to people's mobile phones.

Perhaps their needs to be a device on smartphones that checks a users sobriety level or heart rate and won't allow them to post until they are sober and calm. But, until that happens, it is still a good idea to invest in an actual paper journal, and write down all the questionable tweets and updates you want to post and give them a few hours before you actually post them online. Leaving yourself with a buffer can keep you from suffering the ill effects of “social media remorse”.

Are you looking for a job in Health Care? Be sure to visit HealthCareJobSite.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

100 Steps to Relaxation

Sometimes unemployment can be pretty nerve-racking. We can run ourselves silly stressing over everything it is we should be doing so much so that we create more problems than if we would have just stopped to take a short break. Over the years however I have picked up some simple relaxation techniques that can quickly calm me down, center my consciousness and clear the clutter momentarily from my mental space.

It doesn’t take long but even 10 minutes in a state of heavy relaxation cam make all the difference. I’m going to describe a visualization process I use to free myself from the bombardment of my brain. It starts with closing your eyes but read through the process before you do. If it helps, record it in a soft soothing voice with a slow rhythm and play it back when you need to relax. Ready?

Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Clear your mind, thinking only about your breathing, the feeling of the air filling and exiting your lungs. Let the other ideas that invade your thoughts escape with each exhale. Once you have blown your worries away visualize yourself at the top of a long staircase. It can be inside, outside both or neither, there is no right or wrong answer as long as you are comfortable and not intimidated then it works for the exercise.

Now start your decent of 100 steps, counting backwards towards zero in your mind as you imagine each step underfoot. At the bottom of the stairs is a warm and inviting light which you are drawn closer too. Try to picture as many details as precisely as you possibly can. Don’t deliberate on audible or visual details alone but try to envision an all encompassing environment. Is the air wet or dry? How does it smell? What are the stairs made of and how does it feel underfoot?

Any time outside thoughts try to push their way in, force them back out with a deep breath, the continuous count and focusing on the details of descending the stairs. With each number you tick off the countdown and each step you take down the stairs you get closer to the growing glowing light beckoning at the bottom.

When you reach the final 10 steps the light slowly engulfs you until you are swallowed entirely as you step off the last stair. In your imagination focus the light on the top of your head. Don’t only picture how it looks but imagine how it feels, like the warmth of the sun shining through the window on that spot alone. Now shift the light source. Move the spot where the light hits your skin down your neck, torso and into your arms before envisioning it traveling into your legs and out of your toes.

The warmth and peace fills you entirely so take a minute to bask in it before imaging yourself turning around and spotting a door. Take the handle and walk through the exit. Welcome back to reality, hope this helps you relax. It works for me, if I’m short on time I only do 50 stairs. Try it and comment below with questions or results.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.



By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Beyond.com. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.

Should You Take Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures?

by Alex A. Kecskes

You're going to the dentist. Your mouth will be wide open for maybe an hour or more. Lots of opportunity for germs to dive in and take hold. So should you protect yourself by taking precautionary antibiotic before you see the dentist?

Updated recommendations from the American Heart Association say it may do more harm than good. The AHA recommends that only people who are at the greatest risk from infective endocarditis (IE) should receive short-term preventive antibiotics before routine dental procedures. IE is an infection of the heart's inner lining or the heart valves caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart.

The new guidelines say that preventive antibiotics are no longer needed for patients who regularly take them. Even those with the following conditions could skip this preventive measure:

• Mitral valve prolapse
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Bicuspid valve disease
• Calcified aortic stenosis
• Congenital heart conditions

Mounting evidence suggests that the risks of taking preventive antibiotics outweigh the benefits for most patients. What are the risks? Adverse reactions to antibiotics and the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

Studies further suggest that IE is more likely due to everyday activities than from a dental procedure. Taking antibiotics before undergoing a dental procedure was not found to prevent IE in patients at risk of developing a heart infection. This is because the hearts of these patients are already exposed to all sorts of bacteria residing in the mouth—bacteria that can easily enter their bloodstream while brushing or flossing. The AHA guidelines underscore the importance of maintaining optimal oral health and the value of daily oral hygiene.

That said, there are still some patients who should take antibiotics before undergoing dental procedures. Patients who have developed a heart infection, and those with the following conditions:

• Artificial heart valves
• A history of IE
• Certain serious congenital heart conditions
• Some cardiac transplant patients

Note: This article is not intended as a substitute for seeing your doctor before taking or stopping any medication (s).

For an added perspective, check out this video:

For more information on health careers, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.healthcarejobsite.com

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.

Top Five Ways to Be Irreplaceable at Work

If you want to be eligible for promotions, it will work to your advantage to become an indispensable individual at your place of work. While you do not want to work so hard that you suffer from burnout, you can do want to stand out in both your boss’ and co-workers' eyes.

Demonstrate a Positive Attitude

While you may have read this advice elsewhere, there is no contesting that a positive attitude will work wonders in the workplace. After all, a “can do” attitude is contagious and can have a positive effect on other employees. In turn, this type of environment creates a more constructive work environment – and will make your boss happy.

Be Knowledgeable and Demonstrate Leadership

Know your job duties “inside and out” and excel at this position. Become known as a reliable worker that will complete projects on time. Along similar lines, as policies and methodologies within organizations can frequently change, it is beneficial for you to keep on top of these policies. When other employees have questions, they will then come to you for information. In turn then, your boss will recognize that the other employees use you as a resource and keep this info in mind when he or she is thinking about promotions.

Be a True Team Player

Besides working on your own assignments, show that you work well within in a team environment as well. After all, if you wish to move up in the company, you will have to work with many different types of personalities and it is therefore in your best interest to demonstrate that you are capable of getting along with coworkers in your current position.

Have a Flexible Disposition

This tip is essentially a “no brainer” – if your boss asks you to perform a task that is outside your standard job description, perform this task anyways. Saying that the requested task is “not your job” will not get you anywhere.

Show Initiative

Act like your place of work is your own business; for instance, if you see excellent business opportunities, you should recognize these opportunities and tell your higher ups about them. In addition, you should volunteer for new assignments and “go the extra mile” so to speak when completing your current projects.

By simply following these few workplace tips, you should be well on your way to being perceived as both a valuable and irreplaceable employee.

Ready to supercharge your job search? Visit PhillyJobs.com.



Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines.

6 Quick Tips for Getting Healthy (No Matter How Busy You Are)

We all know how important our health is and how difficult it can sometimes seem to be to stay in shape and eat a healthy well balanced diet since we tend to always be on the go, rushing to and fro and rarely have the time to eat properly or take care of ourselves. Well, getting healthy does not have to be an overwhelming and daunting task.

Here are 6 very simple, quick and easy tips to help you improve your health, eat better, and get out of that rut that we often find ourselves in.

Quick Tip #1: How to Eat Spinach
Are you one of those people who just dream of a nice large plate of steaming spinach after a long day at work? No? Oddly enough…you are not alone. The problem is that spinach is one of those foods that happen to be great for your health, even if it is not one of the most popular choices for a lot of people.

Spinach is high in several essential vitamins and nutrients including potassium, iron, fiber, calcium, and vitamin A, vitamin B, and Vitamin C. There are a wide range of health benefits from eating this little leafy green vegetable, some that you may not have suspected. Eating a diet rich in spinach can help you fight heart disease, improve the muscles of the eyes and reduce eye strain, help to naturally strengthen the arteries for better circulatory and heart health, is a good defense in combating memory loss, fights harmful free radicals and can aid in the prevention of various cancers including breast cancer and colon cancer. And if all that was not enough, some studies suggest that it can even help in reversing the signs of aging.

Looking at the impressive list of just a few of the great benefits from having spinach in your diet may make you realize that you need spinach but may not make it seem any more appealing to you. Not to worry, you can actually find really quick and easy ways of getting spinach into your diet with all of its great health benefits in ways that will not you making you cringe. Simply use the foods you are already eating, and sprinkle in a bit of spinach here and there throughout the day. For example, you can add spinach to omelets for a simple way to get some of the green stuff. Spinach also goes great on pizza or in veggie and chicken lasagna. It compliments the sauce well and you will not even notice the taste. You can also use some fresh spinach tossed into your salad or mixed in with the lettuce on a sandwich or wrap.

Instead of trying to force yourself to eat a large serving of spinach as is, you will find that you can incorporate this very healthy food easily in your regular diet and by mixing it in with other foods you can mask the taste easily if it is not to your liking.

Quick Tip #2: Drink Cranberry Juice!
Instead of that soda or regular sugar loaded fruit drink, trying grabbing some cranberry juice for a quick and refreshing way to get healthy.

Cranberries have long been used for their role in improving urinary tract and kidney health and is believed to prevent bacteria from adhering to the wall of the urinary tract which helps to prevent urinary tract infections. Because cranberries are chocked full of antioxidants, they have also been shown to have several other great health benefits including protection from free radicals and fighting plaque. Drinking cranberry juice on a daily basis can also help to lower your cholesterol, fight stomach cancer and prevent ulcers and there is some research that shows that cranberries can also boost the immune system and aids in weight loss.

So instead of reaching for the sports drink or other juice, try substituting a glass of cranberry juice instead.

Quick Tip #3: Switch to Diet Drinks
Speaking of what you drink, one of the quickest ways to change your habits for the better is to simply switch your sodas and other high sugar beverages to diet drinks and sugar free choices. No change in routine, no extra expense, just a simple switch and you can cut calories and help to prevent diabetes later in life.

Quick Tip #4: Snack on Almonds
Almonds are another one of those power foods that are bursting with great health benefits that can help you lower cholesterol, protect your heart, boost your energy levels, aid in the development and function of the brain, reduce weight, and even help to prevent diabetes and gallstones. Almonds are also high in folic acid, a key element in the development of babies during pregnancy, making almonds an excellent snack for expecting mothers as well. Although almonds may not be a good choice for people who have kidney problems because they do contain oxalates which can lead to crystallization, making almonds a bad choice for people suffering from kidney issues, but for most other people they are a great and healthy snack.

So keep a pack of almonds in your car or at your desk and the next time you get an attack of the munchies snack on the almonds instead of chips or other unhealthy snacks that are high in fat and sodium.

Quick Tip #5: Sleep
Many of us are those driven, burn the midnight oil types who just can not seem to rest until we get everything done. Unfortunately, this often results in a lack of sleep which is detrimental to our health and our productivity. The more and more we try to cram into our day, the more we seem to eat into our sleeping time, so instead of getting at least the 8 hours of sleep that we need to have each night we tend to get only 5 to 7, sometimes even less.

Depriving ourselves of the full night’s sleep that your body needs can have serious consequences on your health. Lack of sleep can interfere with your body’s ability to regulate hormones and your metabolism which means that you are at a greater risk for things like obesity and diabetes because your body can not process the carbohydrates properly. A lack of sleep also interferes with your cognitive abilities making you sluggish and leading to difficulties in concentration. Other studies have also shown a link between inadequate and irregular amounts of sleep to an increased chance of developing cancer and heart disease and such studies have indicated that the average adult needs between 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, on a regular basis in order to maintain good health and for the human body to function normally.

So while we might think that we are doing more by sleeping less, we are really lowering the quality of our own health and being less productive when we are awake so all in all we end up doing less by going without sleep. So a simple way to increase your own productivity while taking care of your health is to simply get to bed on time. And if you find that you have trouble sleeping you can try safe herbal remedies, such as chamomile than can help you to relax and fall asleep.

Quick Tip #6 Chair-a-cise!

When you are stuck at a desk all day it may seem hard to keep in shape and to release all of the stiffness and tension that can build up during the day but there are some great and simple little exercises that you can do right from your chair that can make a big difference in how you feel and perform throughout your day.

Doing simple leg extensions from a sitting position and flexing your ankle at the height of the lift is a simple way to get your circulation going and get your muscles working. To add resistance you can even use ankle weights if you want to keep them at your desk. Doing side bend stretches are another easy way to stretch and move while sitting at your desk. You can also do arm circles by extending your arms and moving them in tiny little circles with the entire arm, holding them straight as you move. Another easy one is a simple neck role than can be great for relieving stress as well by just relaxing and slowly moving your heard around in a circle gently to release some of the tension in your neck.

This might not seem like much, but doing such simple exercises can help you to keep your muscles stretched out and release the stiffness and tension that you often feel when chained to a desk. Also make a point of standing as often as possible, take the stairs when you can, or even park on the far end of the parking lot to get in a little extra exercise on the go.

No matter how busy you are, you can make the time for these tiny little changes that can have a big impact on your health and help you to start living a healthier lifestyle, even when on the go. And of course, any time you make a change to your diet or exercise routine you should always check with your health care provider first and check out HealthcareJobsite for your dream job today!

Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.

Job Search 101 - Create an Attack Plan

Looking for a job can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like it is just too hard, there is too much to do and when you aren't getting responses as quickly as you like, it is easy to lose hope and start to become frustrated.

They say that to make a task easier, you have to break it down into small steps. So, let's keep breaking down the job search steps, to make sure that you have all of your bases covered:

• Create an attack plan – You wouldn't just pick stocks or investments at random, so don't trust your job search to random luck and good timing. Do some research about your industry and find out where the growth is. Take a hard look at the number of jobs available in your field and see where your next step is. Maybe you need to get a certificate or some additional training to open up new avenues?
  
  
  Sit down and ask yourself some of these hard questions: What jobs are available that fit your skills and training? What companies are the leaders in this field in your area? How would you find out about any of their job openings? Are you willing to re-locate for a job? Would you be willing to take a position that was a step down from your previous one? Can you accept a lower salary? Is there any additional training that can be had that would increase your job opportunities? Answering these questions will help give you a more defined idea of what position you should be looking for.
  
  
  Next, you need to take a look at your financial situation. How much available credit do you have? What would you have to do to get more? What are your assets? What is your monthly budget, and how much can you cut out of it? How much money do you need to cover your basic expenses for a month? How long can you afford to be out of work? These question will let you know how much you are going to have to compromise in order to find the right job. It may mean that you will need to look for a part time job in order to continue your job search. Or maybe, you might have to think more seriously about taking a lesser paying job. But, by asking the question and finding the answers ahead of time, you can get a clear picture and not let fear push you into making bad decisions.
  
  
  Once you have a clear idea of where you want to go next in your career and how long you have to get there, you should start thinking about your networking strategy. Are there any professional organizations you could join to meet people in the industry? Who do you know that works for a company you want to work for? Could you ask them for a warm introduction? Do you know others in your area or field who are also out of work? Would they be interested in sharing job leads with you? Think about where and how you can get out and network with other professionals. Networking is one of the best ways to find out about new jobs and just to stay current on what is going on with your industry.

Keep an eye out for the next installment of Job Search 101.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.com

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.