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Ten Warning Signs of a Toxic Boss
We've all heard stories about the nightmare of working for a toxic boss. Some of us have even had the unique displeasure of doing so ourselves. Red flags to such behavior often appear as soon as the interview process. We've compiled 10 early warning signs of a toxic boss. Heed this advice, and you might be able to avoid a negative ... -
Wildland Firefighter
The majority of the duties performed by a wildland firefighter are outdoors. Experiencing elements of all four seasons is not uncommon. Depending upon where you are stationed, you may experience all four seasons within a few days. Most duties are related to prescribed burning, wildfire suppression, and fire preparedness. These duties include serving as a firefighter or engine operator during prescribed ... -
Paramedic
Paramedics are first responders for emergencies such as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, gunshot wounds, and all other medical situations that would require immediate attention. Often working closely with law enforcement and the fire department personel, Paramedicss are dispatched to an emergency via a 911 operator. Paramedics are qualified to treat minor injuries, and for more serious trauma, they are ... -
Be Proactive Before and After You Send Your Resume
You find a promising job listing online. Excited, you send a well-crafted cover letter and resume and wait for a response. Six weeks later, you're still waiting, your enthusiasm has waned, and you've concluded your resume has fallen into a black hole. A proactive approach to your job search can improve your chances of landing interviews. These six tips will help ... -
Fire Chief
A Fire Chief’s main responsibility is to keep local government officials fully informed of the fire department’s proficiency relative to the dangers of the community, while at the same time acting as the leader of his or her fire department. The Fire Chief must oversee all the services of the fire department; which include but are not limited to: medical emergencies, ... -
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
Emergency Medical Technicians are first responders for emergencies such as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, gunshot wounds, and all other medical situations that would require immediate attention. Often working closely with law enforcement and the fire department personel, EMTs are dispatched to an emergency via a 911 operator. EMTs are qualified to treat minor injuries, and for more serious trauma, ... -
Assessing Your Skills: What Makes You Different from All the Others?
Gina had recently been laid off after working as a marketing manager in a high tech company for the past five years. She was distracted as she walked through the aisles of the supermarket. She was thinking about ways to market herself into a new job. She stood in front of the cereal selection, overwhelmed by the number of brands to ... -
Reference Checking: Five Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
Despite ongoing attempts to reduce the reference checking process to an online, instantaneous "click here" exercise, there will never be an adequate substitute for the human interaction that must occur between whoever is checking a candidate's references and the references themselves. To be effective, the process requires intuition, common sense, extraordinary listening skills and the ability to combine various comments in ... -
Flexible Spending Accounts for New Federal Employees
**You have 60 days from your entry on duty to sign-up for Flexible Spending Account(s), or until October 1, whichever comes first. Applications for the current calendar year are not accepted from October 1 through December 31. If you wish to enroll after October 1 you will need to do so during open season for the following year.** The Federal Flexible ... -
Ten Tips to Boost Your Interview IQ
Even the smartest and most qualified job seekers need to prepare for job interviews. Why, you ask? Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression. So study these _10 strategies_ and caveats to enhance your interview IQ. **Practice Good Nonverbal Communication** It's about demonstrating confidence: standing straight, making eye contact and connecting ... -
Dress Appropriately for Interviews
What do I wear to the interview? It's a question millions of people agonize over on some level while looking for a job. The bad news is that there are few cut-and-dried answers. As the saying goes, there's no accounting for taste, and each interviewer has his unique sense of what's appropriate interview attire. The good news? Deciding what to wear ... -
How to Decide on Resume Length
How long should my resume be? is one of the most commonly asked questions about resumes. Not too long ago, job seekers were told that a resume should never exceed one page. Those who broke this golden rule were destined for the circular file. Times have changed, and so has the criteria for resume length. **The new guideline is**: A resume ... -
Firefighter
Firefighters work within the community and are frequently the first responders to traffic accidents, medical emergencies, fires and other area crisis situations. At every emergency scene, firefighters perform specific tasks, as designated by their superior, to help calm the crisis. Firefighter’s tasks include but are not limited to: treating injuries, operating high-pressure hoses, salvaging parts of destroyed buildings, ventilating smoke-filled areas ... -
How to Catch Common Grammatical Errors
Business documents rife with typos can undermine your professional reputation, not to mention that of your company. That's why you should have a good working knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as the ability to catch mistakes before someone else does. Catching your own errors can be challenging. But with a little practice, you can reduce your margin of ... -
Ageism at the Interview
For many job seekers, the interview is the most difficult part of the job search process because of its impact on the hiring decision. An interview is similar to a sales meeting, only you're forced into an unfamiliar marketing position where you're both the salesperson and product. You usually have less than half an hour to convince the interviewer that you're ... -
Resume Dilemma: No Degree
Are your fellow job seekers leaving you in the dust, nabbing the great jobs because they have educational credentials that you lack? Follow these tips to put your best foot forward on your resume and compete with others who have more impressive educational backgrounds. h4. Emphasize Your Strongest Credentials Think about why an employer should hire you out of all the ... -
Build Your Job Search Network
Networking is about making contacts and building relationships that can lead to jobs or other work-related opportunities. Thoughtful networking provides a focused way to talk to people about your job search. Done right, it can help you obtain leads, referrals, advice, information and support. It is an essential component of any successful job search, but it requires calculated planning. The good ... -
Questions They Shouldn't Ask
The female candidate was asked, "Do you plan to have children?" She was taken aback by the question and wasn't sure how to answer. _She figured she had three choices_: # To answer the question honestly even though she did not want to. # To tell the interviewer it is none of his business and the question is illegal. # To ... -
Keeping Your Boss Happy
**How to Acquire Power in the Agency** Whether it’s chief, sheriff, colonel, superintendent, director, or commissioner, the top honcho in a law enforcement agency is the one that most law enforcers want to impress. In short, they view their boss’ happiness as inextricably intertwined with theirs. In the police world’s career oriented individual’s reality, the score is not kept so much ... -
The Benefits of Working for Uncle Sam
Want to make sure retirement treats you well? Work for Uncle Sam, and those golden years could have a little added shine. Not only are federal retirement benefits portable, but being the largest employer provides the government excellent leverage in securing benefits for its employees. Take the example of Jane Smith, a fictional but possible example of a former federal employee. ...