By Brad - Tuesday 8 Jul 9:32 am
Being a truck driver involves riding in a truck for long periods of time. Whether you have a local truck driving job or an over the road truck driving job, you spend a lot of time in your truck and this can be quite boring at times.
Fortunately, there are great electronic gadgets that offer entertainment for when you are on the road in your truck driving job.
Portable DVD players are becoming more and more affordable, and although these are not a good idea for when you are driving, your driving team partner will appreciate the opportunity to kick back and relax while watching a movie during their off shift.
CB radios are a timeless trucker gadget, and a must have for anyone with a truck driving job that keeps you on the road for hours on end. A CB radio allows a truck driver to stay up to date with current traffic and weather conditions, as well as connect with other CB radio users to ‘chat’.
Satellite radio is the new and modern must have for anyone with a truck driving job! Avoid commercials, and listen only to the music that you want to listen to. Sirius, the original satellite radio source, is still the best satellite radio to use.
Radar detectors are a helpful way to protect yourself from certain hassles associated with a truck driving job. Drive safely, and be prepared with a radar detector. Check out Radar Busters, one of the leading manufacturers of high quality, trust worthy radar detectors starting at just over $100.
Of all the cool electronics that are a must have for truck drivers, nothing can beat a laptop computer. Owning a laptop computer allows you to store and bring all of your favorite music to listen to.
Other benefits of bringing a laptop on the road come with the advantage of the increasing wi-fi hot spots popping up all over the place. Connecting to the internet from anywhere provides a variety of entertainment.
More importantly, the internet allows a truck driver to stay connected with family and friends when you are on the road for a long period of time.
The best part is that using your laptop computer to record your logs in allows you to use the computer as a tax write off for your truck driving job!
Posted in: Truck Jobs
By Brad - Monday 7 Jul 2:28 pm
To be able to study Occupational Therapy, there are certain requirements that each prospective student should be able to meet.
The University or College you are enrolling in will determine the exact specifications you need to follow. It is highly recommended that you have a strong scientific and biological background, and some Universities will specify Mathematics to be compulsory. You will need to have done some, or in a number of cases, all of the following courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Physical Science
- Social Sciences
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Biology
These subjects will all give a solid grounding when entering the vast and competitive workplace of Occupational Therapy Jobs.
There are also a small range of health requirements that need to be adhered to with most Universities. Obviously a person working within the industry of health and medicine must come across as a role model for their clients. This is the reasoning behind the following possible health requirements.
- Vaccinations – most faculties recommend having an up to date vaccination record before initiating studies
- Certain Blood Tests
- Skin Tests
There are many different forms of Occupational Therapy Jobs. Once qualified, you can specialise in a chosen domain that suits your personal inclination and interests. Some of the choices you have are:
- Rehabilitative Occupational Therapy Jobs. Treating patients after accidents or injury, which is one of the more widespread choices
- Another vast percentage specialise in Occupational Therapy jobs working with children. This form of OT includes Play Occupational Therapy, which incorporates playtime into teaching a child to sit properly or to teach them to use lazy muscles again
- Specialising in disabilities, for example: autism, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy etc. By encouraging an improvement in fine and gross motor co-ordination and muscular stimulation
- Occupational Therapy Jobs for clients following surgical procedures, for example: After hip or any joint replacement surgery
- Hand Occupational Therapists, specialising in hands alone
- Another popular direction for Occupational Therapists to follow is into the workplace where they encourage wellness, the correct postural positions to sit in and healthy habits amongst colleagues. This serves well in schools too.
- Working with the older generation, stimulating movement amongst the more sedentary groups of people is also a popular avenue for Occupational Therapists.
Occupational Therapy Jobs are varied and can be moulded to fit in with many different work areas.
Posted in: Therapy Jobs
By Brad - Sunday 6 Jul 11:02 am
Job searchers can get stuck searching for months with no results. Finding a job takes more than just posting your resume. Follow ten steps to turn your job search into a job.
- 1. Focus your job search. Don’t submit as many applications as possible. Apply for jobs if you meet the stated qualifications and are truly interested.
- 2. Know what you are looking for. The better you know your goals, the more likely you are to choose accurate keywords and focus your job search.
- 3. Present a professional package. Your cover letter and resume should be clear and concise. Have someone else edit for spelling, typos and inappropriate language. Avoid gimmicks, bright colors and flashy designs.
- 4. Be prepared for responses. You want callbacks so provide accurate and professional contact information. This means no funny voicemail messages and no caller tunes. Choose a standard ring and professional message for the duration of your job search.
- 5. Get out of your comfort zone and network. There is truth to the statement it’s not what you know but who you know. Employers hire people they know and like. Join professional or service organizations in your area to show dedication to your field and get your face in front of potential employers.
- 6. Prepare for the interview. Be prompt and dress professionally. Preparation also includes doing some research about the company. Show them you are interested in them and they will be interested in you.
- 7. Sell your strengths. Potential employers won’t know what you have to offer unless you are able to communicate your strengths to them.
- 8. Take risks. This doesn’t mean applying for a dream job you have no qualifications for. Stay informed with what’s up and coming in your industry and look to the smaller companies or start-ups for opportunities.
- 9. Follow-up. If you haven’t heard back, let them know you are still interested with a follow-up card or email. Consider a thank you after an interview. Don’t be a pest but remind employers you are out there.
- 10. Hold out for a good match. Don’t accept the first offer if it isn’t the right offer. When times are tough and competition is fierce sometimes you have to take a near fit and that is okay. Just be aware that you are compromising your job search and remain open to finding the perfect fit in the future.
Posted in: Job Search
By Brad - Saturday 5 Jul 9:54 am
Occupational Therapy is renowned nationwide for its remedial properties and rehabilitative functions. In a country where the economy is not at its most favourable, the number of available occupational therapy jobs is at an all time high. OT is becoming the popular choice of careers for students to gain insight into, and America is seeing this first hand. There are some cities in America that are more abundant with occupational therapy jobs than others.
Reasons behind this may possibly be that these particular cities have some of the most highly acclaimed colleges to study occupational therapy at, where professors will pass on listings of job opportunities to their students. It makes sense to keep the two operations close by to one another. Often Universities and colleges have apprenticeships and fieldwork exercises built into their curriculum. These institutions where practical work is carried out might take on a student who has performed especially well during their fieldwork exercises.
It could also just be a case of larger business conglomerates in these areas that are creating awareness amongst their employees, and introducing wellness into their working environments by keeping occupational therapy jobs within their workplaces.
The Top 5 States with the highest occurrence of occupational therapy jobs are:
- Texas
- California
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
Further narrowed down by taking a closer inspection into each State mentioned, you’d find the most occupational therapy jobs in the following cities:
- Texas – Houston, with Dallas and Austin close behind
- California – Los Angeles. However, Sacramento has a huge work base for occupation therapy jobs, and San Diego and Long Beach are also worth mentioning in this department
- Florida – Tampa, followed closely by Panama
- Pennsylvania – Philadelphia is without a doubt the single largest provider of occupational therapy jobs in Pennsylvania.
- New Jersey – Newark. New Jersey must not be underestimated because of its size in comparison to other States. There is not one city in New Jersey that offers a higher level of available jobs than others. But when looking at New Jersey in it’s entirety and taking the size of this State into account, the increasing amount of available occupational therapy jobs is extremely prevalent
There is not a State in America that does not have occupational therapy employment on the increase. This can only mean good things for the wellbeing of the country.
Posted in: Therapy Jobs
By Brad - Friday 4 Jul 10:51 am
Choosing trucking for a career is already a step towards maximizing your earning potential, and once you make that decision there are only 5 simple steps to insure that you will be well compensated for your hard work.
1.) Be prepared before applying for your first job as a truck driver.
Don’t receive your training from a company that provides training for new recruits. Instead, invest the time and money by attending a reputable training school to receive your special licenses and certification before searching for a job. This way, when you initially apply for a truck driving job, you will automatically receive a fatter paycheck if you have already completed training (as opposed to the ‘company sponsored training’).
2.) Complete as many training programs as possible.
The more certifications and licenses you acquire, the more work opportunities you will be qualified for. Having a choice of truck driving jobs gives you a choice of higher income potential.
3.) Seek out reputable trucking companies.
A truck driving job for a well known company, such as UPS or Mclane, will always pay more than a smaller company. The bigger the company name, the bigger your paycheck. Also, never settle into a company when there is a better paying opportunity out there. With any job, you should always be on the look out for a chance to “move up”.
4.) Invest in your own truck.
Despite the regular maintenance that comes with owning your own truck, being an owner operator gives you more freedom as a truck driver. You can ‘lease out your truck’, or you can use it yourself and work several truck driving jobs.
5.) Be flexible.
‘Local’ truck driving jobs are great because they allow you to return home nightly and still make a truckers income. But if you want the maximum income for a trucker, it’s the long haul jobs that pay the best. Although you’ll be gone for weeks at a time, you will be well compensated for your time.
Interstate truck driving jobs often involve a ‘team’, or two people that alternate shifts operating the same truck. It is not uncommon for a husband and wife to partner up for a long haul drive, and the longer you are gone on the road the less money you will spend. The longer that your route is, the bigger your income will be.
Posted in: Truck Jobs
By Brad - Thursday 3 Jul 10:15 am
Though the image of being a trucker may not hold the same appeal as the image of being a lawyer or political figure (or, maybe they do…) but why would anybody want to be a truck driver?
For one, truck driving involves a lot more than just driving a truck. There are many choices, from the type of truck to drive to the cargo you haul. All of these choices lead to different types of trucking jobs. Of course, the best part of this is that any job as a truck driver pays well.
If you want a job that will support you and your family, you want a job that requires training and experience, like truck driving. There are many ups and downs to being a truck driver, many of which may surprise you!
Many married couples get into the career of truck driving together, as long haul trips will keep you from home for weeks at a time but working as a team (alternating driving and resting shifts) allows a couple to work together and not be apart, as well as enjoy the time on the road together.
Long haul trips are a great thing for anyone who enjoys the open road, some good music, and the experience of traveling to unknown territories. A truck driving job can offer you exciting opportunities you would not find with a regular 9 to 5 office job, or a 2nd shift factory job.
Since truck driving is a career that requires training, proper licensing and certification it is also a career that pays far better than any job which requires no prior experience. Furthermore, acquiring the proper licensing and certification that it takes to be a truck driver does not take a long time.
If you have a 5 year plan that involves getting into a successful career, choosing a truck driving job as your career path can put you on the right road within a year.
The options of being a truck driver are not limited to simply acquiring a license and driving a truck. There are different types of jobs that involve driving a truck, including local jobs that allow you to come home every night. Or, you can invest in your own truck and choose the “owner operator” path, which allows you to be your own boss, make your own decisions, and grow as an individual self employed business.
Qualifying yourself for a truck driving job means you will have a freedom that no other job can provide.
Posted in: Truck Jobs
By Brad - Wednesday 2 Jul 12:39 pm
In less than a decade more than 75 million people have established a job search account at Monster.com. Millions more have used sites like Careerbuilder.com and Hotjobs.com or some other website dedicated to employment opportunities. With all these people searching no one wants to get lost in the crowd. Consider these five approaches to making your job search effective.
1. Focus the search with keywords. Don’t waste time and energy searching too wide a variety of job listings or applying for jobs you don’t want. Know what you are seeking then use keywords to focus your search.
2. Use multiple sites. Limiting your search to one job search website limits your opportunity. Employers don’t list on every available site; it isn’t cost effective. Some industries have their own career websites. Look around or consider a site like Indeed.com when you begin your search. Indeed.com and others search multiple job sites at the same time which may speed up your job search.
3. Market yourself professionally. Employers who list online screen applicants to weed out a large portion before they even start planning interviews. Don’t get eliminated for an unprofessional package. Prepare cover letter templates and resume ahead of time in plain text document so they can be read no matter what programs the employer is using. Have them reviewed and edited to avoid typos and errors. Establish an email address for your job search that is simple and professional. Some employers are just as savvy online as you are and can easily check your social networking page. Drunken photos, sexual innuendo (or worse) are not professional and may cost you the chance at a second look.
4. Follow directions listed in the job listing. Employers do not want to hire people who cannot follow instructions. Read the job listing and follow the instructions regarding what they are looking for and how they want that information. Many toss out any applicants who do not follow instructions without even glancing at the resume.
5. Apply for positions you are qualified for. Don’t waste time – yours or the employer’s. Know whether you are qualified and apply only if you meet the employer’s basic needs.
In order to make your online job search effective you should use the tools to your advantage. Start with these five simple rules and your search will yield more advantageous results.
Posted in: Job Search
By Brad - Wednesday 11 Jun 10:03 am
Although the trucking career is ‘easier to get in to’ than (for example) a medical career because there is much less training involved… there is still a lot of preparation that goes in to getting a truck driving job.
If you want a job you can just walk into with no prior skills or education, try a fast food restaurant. If you are willing to devote some time and effort in to a career that will actually support you and your family, and you have chosen the career path of being a truck driver… you need your CDL license.
Just as you did when you were a teenager and first learned to drive a car, you need to obtain a permit before you can obtain your license. Once again, you need to take a written test, only this time the questions will focus on General Knowledge, Combination Vehicles, and Air Brakes.
In order to complete this written test with confidence, you want to know the answers. This is (one of the ways) where a training school is essential. The classroom hours you invest will prepare you to achieve your CDL permit.
If you are smart, you will take additional, optional endorsement tests that will be listed on your permit as extra abilities you will have as a truck driver. These tests include Tankers, Double and Triple Trailers, and Hazardous Materials (or “HazMat”).
Once again, having a permit only enables you to drive a truck with a passenger that has a CDL license. Obtaining your permit is the 2nd step (after classroom training), now you can learn to drive a truck.
When you are confident and comfortable behind the wheel, you can finally obtain your CDL license by taking the driving skills test. Congratulations, you are now ready to find a truck driving job!
There is much emphasis here on how important the training you receive will be. There are 3 choices of training to be a truck driver. Public training is often a government funded option that provides a variety of vocational training (does not focus solely on truck driving). Private training is your best option, because you will receive individual and extensive training that focuses solely on truck driving. Finally, there is the option to receive your training from a motor carrier.
As mentioned before, unless you want a fast food job you should focus on complete training first, and then finding a truck driving job. If you apply for a truck driving job with a motor carrier that provides you with the minimal of training, just enough to get you licensed and stick you on the road… you will be making a huge mistake.
For a better paying truck driving job, even for your first job as a truck driver… you will benefit greatly from receiving the complete training available only at a private truck driving training school. Then, all you have to do is share your resume with as many companies as you like, and choose your first job!
Posted in: Truck Jobs
By Brad - Thursday 5 Jun 6:24 pm
The most important step in your job search starts with you. Knowing what you want in a job is the first priority. Without a goal in mind your job search will be unfocused and haphazard. While a broad search may get results it may not yield positive results.
Whether you are beginning your first search or your fifteenth the same rule applies. Find out what you want. To do so follow some basic steps:
1. Ask yourself why you are searching. Are you just out of school? Have you recently been laid off? Are you tired of your current position and looking for a change? Do you need more money? Your answer is the first step to deciding what you are looking for in your job search.
2. List your strengths. What do you have to offer an employer? Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have experience in a new field can you afford to start in an entry level position? Do you have other strengths to offer that may outweigh your inexperience? Know what you have to offer.
3. Research your options. If you know you want a job in management or insurance for example – start researching to narrow your job search. Type in the keyword management in a job search engine and watch hundreds of jobs appear. Don’t waste hours sorting through these choices. Choose a more specific keyword search for better results.
4. Know what you don’t want. Knowing what you are not willing to live with is just as important as knowing what you want. Make a list of items you will not compromise – be it “I won’t wear a suit every day” or “I hate cubicles”. Avoid the items on your list so you don’t waste your or the employers’ time.
5. Prioritize what you want. Make a list of what you want in your next job and rank the list.
6. Be patient. Finding the right job for you takes time. By limiting your job search to what you really want it may take longer. It might be quicker to do a broad search and take any position you can get but a job you hate will send you back to another job search fast.
Searching for a job takes time, energy and patience. Make the experience more fun and efficient by taking the first step to decide what you want in a job.
Posted in: Job Search
By Brad - Thursday 5 Jun 6:24 pm
Beginning a job search can be overwhelming whether a person has been recently laid off or is considering options for a growth opportunity. Keep a few simple options in mind and your search will prove successful.
1. Develop an organized system. If you don’t take your job search seriously why would anyone else. Searching for a job is similar to having a job. Set up a schedule for searching, posting resumes, networking and making follow-ups. Make your search a professional priority is taking the first step.
2. Go to the source. If you are looking for a specific position in an industry do not limit yourself to large and generic job search sites. Head directly to the employers you are interested in and apply via their site or human resources department. Do not limit yourself to only the well known employers in your field either; try small and mid-size companies as well.
3. Work with a staffing firm that services your industry. If you’ve sent your resume to the companies you are interested in or if you’ve searched several sites and found no openings, you may need professional help for your job search. Consider a headhunter or staffing service that specializes in your industry. These services have direct and up-to-date contact with potential employers. They will also review your resume and provide insider information about what potential employers are looking for.
4. Network at industry events and through professional organization websites and forums. No matter how old-fashioned you think networking is or how you think the internet has improved job searching, there is little substitute for getting out and making your self known to potential employers.
5. Send cover letters and resumes to a specific person not “to whom it may concern” or to the “hiring manager”. Employers and human resources departments receive resumes and applications by the hundreds. You will be just another number added to the pile or scanned then disposed of unless what you offer stands out. The first step in getting noticed is to get your information to the right party then wow them.
Follow these five simple steps and your job search will begin the journey to a new job in the right direction. Just remember to be consistent and keep following up, you will get the job that is right for you.
Posted in: Job Search
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