Navigating Your Relationship With a Recruiter

In a weak economy with fewer available employment opportunities, job seekers must employ advanced tactics to stand apart from their competitors. Professional third-party recruiters – sometimes called “headhunters” – can help job seekers find positions that match their skill set and circulate their resume among hiring managers.

Recruiters are experts hired by companies to identify the best candidates for available positions. Their relationship with job seekers is mutually beneficial; recruiters need job seekers to fill positions, while job seekers want access to employers. To maximize the potential of this relationship, job seekers must understand recruiters and their role in the employment process.

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Lighting Can Be Your Eyes’ Best Friend As You Age

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – One out of every 20 Americans over age 50 is diagnosed with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). The worst part of this reality is that most people with PAD don’t experience any symptoms. PAD is dangerous, especially when there are no warning signs.
Peripheral Arterial Disease is a progressive disease commonly called clogged arteries in the legs, poor circulation or a hardening of the arteries.
People have PAD when the arteries in their legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, or plaque. The buildup of plaque causes the arteries to harden and narrow, which is called atherosclerosis. This reduces blood flow to the legs and feet.
The severity of the disease depends on how early it’s diagnosed as well as pre-existing health issues. PAD’s primary symptom is an intermittent cramping of leg muscles during walks or hikes. For some, the pain may feel more like numbness, weakness or heaviness. Whether or not you have symptoms, having PAD means that you’re at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke and even death.
Many people don’t get tested for PAD because they have no symptoms and never feel a thing. The good news is that proper treatment saves lives. If you’re over 50, talk to your health care provider about getting tested for PAD.
The test for PAD is called the “ABI” or ankle-brachial index. It’s a comparison of blood pressure measurements taken at the arms and ankles. It can also assess the severity of the disease.
Despite the presence or lack of symptoms, individuals are their own first line of defense. When face time with actual doctors is limited, it’s helpful to have a list of prepared questions on hand.
The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF), a non-profit dedicated to public awareness and education regarding vascular health, has compiled some questions to ask doctors about PAD:
* Does my medical history raise my risk for PAD?
* What can I do to reduce my blood sugar level if it’s too high or if I have diabetes?
* What do you recommend to quit smoking?
For more information, or to get a free Heart and Sole kit, go to www.vdf.org or 1-866-PADINFO (1-866-723-4636).

Daily Supplement Proven to Help With Osteoarthritis

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – New research using cutting-edge Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the first time confirms that pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulphate (CSbBIO-ACTIVE) significantly helps reduce the effects of osteoarthritis in the knee.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 27 million people in the U.S. alone. Over time, this condition leads to breakdown of the cartilage and other parts of the joint, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement. Cartilage is a firm, rubbery covering on the ends of joint bones that reduces friction and acts as a shock absorber. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage loses elasticity and wears away; without the cushioning cartilage provides, the bones can rub against each other. Cartilage deterioration can affect the shape and makeup of the joint so it no longer functions smoothly. Also, bruises called bone marrow lesions can develop inside the bone and may cause knee pain.
Trial results recently published in a leading arthritis journal showed that chondroitin sulphate treatment significantly reduced cartilage loss and bone marrow lesions from osteoarthritis of the knee.
Chondroitin is a natural substance in the body that helps keep cartilage healthy by absorbing fluid and providing building blocks to produce new cartilage. Chondroitin may also block enzymes that break down cartilage.
Recent advances in MRI made it possible for Dr. Jean-Pierre Pelletier and his team at University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre in Canada to measure for the first time the impact of chondroitin sulfate on cartilage loss and other changes to the joint, including bone marrow lesions. The latest technology enabled researchers to measure and demonstrate significant improvements after treatment with chondroitin sulphate.
By six months, patients showed significantly less cartilage loss compared with those receiving placebo. By 12 months, treatment significantly decreased bone marrow lesion size.
“Reducing bone marrow lesions may help lessen some of the pain associated with osteoarthritis,” said Dr. Pelletier. “From these results, we can conclude that chondroitin sulfate is a safe drug that significantly reduces the volume of cartilage loss and slows down the progression of osteoarthritis in the knee.” He notes, “Patients must be provided highly purified pharmaceutical-grade chondroitin sulphate, the one used in this study, as this is the only one that can guarantee such efficacy and specifically, safety results.”

Health Care Quality: Why It’s Improving, How to Get It

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – The ongoing debate about health care reform obscures an important fact: Americans get better care today than they did 20 years ago.
A key reason is the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The nonprofit organization was founded in 1990 to measure quality and make health care more transparent and accountable. Dr. Elliott Fisher, Director of Population Health and Policy at the Dartmouth Institute, credits NCQA for reporting quality the same way across the country so people can make “apples-to-apples comparison” when choosing health plans.
By making care more transparent and accountable, NCQA has saved thousands of lives and millions of dollars. It does this by helping people get care they need and preventing waste. Children today are nearly three times more likely to get their recommended immunizations than they were in 1997, thanks in large part to NCQA.
The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is NCQA’s main tool for improving health care. HEDIS shows how often insurers provide scientifically recommended tests and treatments to support more than 70 aspects of health. One-hundred twenty million Americans — about two in five — receive care from health plans held accountable by regular reporting of HEDIS results. NCQA translates the results for consumers to use online at http://reportcard.ncqa.org/.
NCQA also helps doctors’ offices serve patients better by becoming “patient-centered medical homes.” A “medical home” is not a place, but a way of organizing care. It combines teamwork and technology to transform the doctor-patient relationship from a series of hurried visits into a long-term partnership committed to keeping people healthy.
Medical homes coordinate all patient care, and make it easier for patients to get care by staying open later and keeping in touch between appointments by phone or e-mail.
The result: more satisfied, healthier patients with fewer hospital and emergency room visits.
Are you tired of being “patient” with doctors offices that expect you to work around their schedules? Find a new one who has earned NCQA Recognition as a patient-centered medical home.

Transport Food to Holiday Parties in Style

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – With the holidays fast approaching, amateur and professional chefs are busy thinking up new recipes, and tasting and testing them. The problem for many, however, is transporting dishes to their final destination. Often, hot meals become cold in transit. And, let’s face it: holiday parties are only as good as the food that is served.
Rachael Ray has created a line of products specifically designed to help chefs and home cooks transport food so that it looks and tastes as good as when it was made. Below is just a small sampling of the many great products that are available to transport food in style, whether the party is just around the corner or hours away:
* Party on. The 5-piece Foodtastic Party Box features a spacious thermal carrier that fits dishes of almost any size or shape. Inside, the large storage container has an easy-to-secure lid, along with a five-compartment snack tray and a deviled egg tray that holds eighteen eggs. And with SuperFoam high-performance insulation and a zippered garage door opening for easy access, the carrier can be used on its own for transporting all kinds of hot or cold foods.
* Take the double decker. The highly portable Expandable Potlucker has two compartments that can accommodate 9×13 inch baking dishes. SuperFoam high performance insulation plus Therma-Flect Radiant Barrier will keep food hot or cold for hours.
* Go then stow. The Stow-A-Way Potlucker fits 9×13-inch baking dishes. High-density thermal insulation keeps meals hot or cold for hours of transport. And when the fun is over, this great product folds flat for easy storage.
* Get versatile. The 4-in-1 Thermal Carrier with Baker Taker features a glass baker to hold that just-baked dessert (or lasagna). Slip it inside the handy Baker Taker, stow it in the thermal carrier bag and go. The straps are convertible so you can carry horizontally or vertically.
* Keep it cool — or hot. The Chill Out Tote Duo features SuperFoam high-performance insulation plus Therma-Flect Radiant Barrier that keeps food hot or cold for hours. The front pocket holds utensils, and the leak-proof lining is easy to clean. These totes are so easy to carry, you’ll want to take both — one for hot food and the other for cold.
The holidays will be here before you know it. To find the right food transport solution for you, go to www.rachaelray.com.

Balancing the Responsibilities of Work and School

Balancing work and the commitment of earning an advanced degree can be daunting. But it is a reality many adult learners face as they continue their education while juggling personal, family and financial responsibilities.

The good news is that there are many tips and resources available to help ease stress and make balancing work and school manageable.

1.    Capitalize on flexible class scheduling. An increasing number of colleges and universities are tailoring education to suit working students’ schedules. DeVry University, for example, offers flexible scheduling in a “mix and match” format that allows students to enroll in a combination of onsite or ◊online courses [http://www.devry.edu/tools/online-learning-experience/online-college-course-demo.htm]◊ during the day or evening, based on convenience.

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Accounting Candidates Prepare to Join Growing Industry

While many industries have shed jobs in the face of a shrinking economy, the historically stable accounting profession is expanding as regulatory scrutiny increases and baby boomers in the field retire.

Bachelor’s degree holders are flooding back to school to advance their careers and secure high-level positions now available in accounting. If you’ve earned your bachelor’s degree in accounting or business administration with an accounting focus, you can move ahead in your career by acquiring your CPA designation. The first step toward achieving this professional goal is passing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

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How a Telecom Audit Can Save Your Business Money

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – It is no mystery that technology allows kids to gain 24-hour access to the media, but a recent study by the Kaiser Foundation discovered the average kid spends 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media. Through using multiple media at one time such as music, TV, movies, the Internet, video games and texting, kids can actually pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes.
Although these ways of socializing and communicating can be enriching, they do come with certain risks. Kids can become victims of online bullies, predators, hackers and scammers.
“The Internet has great potential for kids in terms of knowledge and resources, but we take seriously the job of teaching our youth how to navigate it safely and properly,” said Dan Rauzi, senior director, technology programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).
BGCA has partnered with Sprint to address these issues and help better prepare young people to navigate their world — both real and virtual. Sprint’s online resource, www.4NetSafety.com, offers free tools from experts that address the dangers that young people commonly encounter online and encourages positive dialogue about Internet safety. In addition, www.myclubmylife.com — BGCA’s website for teens — includes a special Media Safety section that has more information and teen-friendly resources to further promote Internet safety.
It’s important that your child be aware that the fundamentals — what we say, how we say it, and why we say it — are the same online and off. Here are some tips for discussing Internet safety with your family:
Create an honest, open environment. Kids look to their parents to help guide them. You may not have all the answers, and being honest about that can go a long way.
Initiate conversations. Even if your kids are comfortable approaching you, don’t wait for them to start the conversation. Use everyday opportunities to talk to your kids about being online.
Communicate your values. Be upfront about your values and how they apply in an online context. Communicating your values clearly can help your kids make smarter and more thoughtful decisions when they face tricky situations.
Be patient. Most kids need to hear information repeated, in small doses, for it to sink in. If you keep talking with your kids, your patience and persistence will pay off in the long run.
For more information, visit www.4NetSafety.com.

Wounded Warrior Program Aids Young Disabled Veterans

A lethal roadside bomb wounded Master Sergeant Jeffrey Mittman on July 7, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. Though within 30 minutes of the attack Mittman was airlifted to a hospital in Baghdad, he sustained permanent bodily damage. When he awoke one month later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., he was blinded in his left eye, his right arm was badly damaged, and he had lost his nose, lips, and most of his teeth.

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Deep Sea Fishing Offers Unforgettable Fun

Five words or less(NewsUSA) – For a truly unique vacation experience, try deep sea fishing in one of the world’s best areas for the sport — Costa Rica.
Costa Rica offers one of the healthiest fisheries in the world, where 20-fish days are not uncommon, and fish simply don’t come in small sizes. Los Sueños Marina, which is home to an extensive charter fleet certified by the Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism, reports that dorodo average 40 pounds, and yellowfin tuna often push past the 300-pound mark. Other fish, including wahoo, roosterfish and snapper, as well as sailfish and marlin, also call the coast of Costa Rica home.
The good fishing might explain Costa Rica’s ranking as one of the happiest places on earth. Vacations and sportfishing at Los Sueños Resort and Marina can be accommodated by Stay In Costa Rica (www.stayincostarica.com), a tourism group that has 10 years planning fishing charters with boats ranging from 25 feet to 65 feet. Want in on the action? Stay In Costa Rica offers the following tips for first-timers:
* Look for an experienced deep sea fishing charter. A qualified deep sea fishing boat will take you to the best fishing spots and provide the correct bait for the fish that you want to catch. Fishing licenses are required and cost $25 per year. All good boats practice catch and release on all bill fish to ensure good fishing to the future generations. There are restaurants that will cook your catch when you bring in Mahi Mahi or Tuna. There are also chefs who will cook your catch in the privacy of you accommodation.
* Guard against seasickness. Even if you’re fishing in Costa Rica, which is known for its gentle, smooth waters, you might get disoriented on the boat. If you get sick, stay above deck and concentrate on the horizon line. Avoid strong smells, like that of the bait, until the nausea passes. Taking motion sickness medication before you board can help you avoid the issue altogether.
* Come prepared. Bring sunglasses and a hat or visor. Be sure to drink plenty of water while on the boat. Don’t forget sunscreen; even if you stay in the shade, the glare off the water can give you sunburn. And don’t forget to bring your camera. After all, you’ll want photographic proof of your big catch!
For more information, visit www.stayincostarica.com.

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