TACOMA, Wash. - An old Mercury Grand Marquis lies mangled on the grounds of the Tacoma Fire Department Training Center, its roof shorn away and its windshield folded over like a piece of crinkled cellophane. The perpetrators: a group of teenage girls. The wreckage was collateral damage from a vehicle extrication exercise at Camp Blaze, a firefighting camp for 16- to ...

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The Hagerstown Fire Department's first female career firefighter worked her first shift recently, after completing nine weeks of intense training. While others are quick to note her accomplishment, Deanna Glaze says she just wants to be a member of the department. "They have treated me very well," she said. "I haven't been singled out or given any special ...

Networking can conjure up images of making smart connections that lead to career success or pictures of shameless, aggressive glad-handing that makes some people squirm. Those are just two views we received from more than 200 Monster members who emailed us in response to our question: Is networking a career must or overrated? Their stories show that the answer isn't one ...

Now you can get the real scoop on employers from your trusted friends in the law enforcement community through our new Employer Review feature. +*How it Works:*+ First add specific details about your employer, then rate an employer on five attributes: Leadership, Culture, Pay, Stability and Advancement. You can also offer advice to prospective employees and explain your rationale as to ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

**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 ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

**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 ...

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. ...

Stress. Pressure. Anxiety. Tension. Whatever you call it, there is no shortage of it in today's fast-paced, technologically advanced workplace. Consider these statistics: * Stress-related disorders are fast becoming the most prevalent reason for worker disability, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. * Job stress and related problems cost American companies an estimated $200 billion or more ...