Some of you may not be aware of what I/ITSEC is, so here’s a list of some Frequently Asked Questions. Read More…

As the year comes closer to the end, we found the job market heating up and candidates were in high demand. It was time for a shift in focus. Instead of jumping back into our usual routine, we wanted to form a creative approach to recruitment. As an adaptive company, we wanted to implement new ways to find candidates. As the digital marketer, I figured it was time to expand our reach. Business is booming but we weren’t reaching our full potential. In order to reach our ideal size, we set daily and weekly goals to help shape our future routine. The challenge we faced was how we were going to reach these goals.
Read More…

Tags: Facebook, YouTube, Recruiting

Standardized Patients are key pieces to the medical education process. The use of standardized patients allows students to learn essential skills in a measurable way. Immediate feedback on performance from the SP influence positive changes in thinking and actions. Read More…

Tags: Standardized Patients

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technology present a cheap, engaging solution to education. Read More…

Tags: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality

Four effective Interview communication tips that will help you land the job!

Have you ever been a part of a presentation where the speaker communicated with low volume and no energy? If so, I’m sure you are fully aware of how painful it is to stay awake and pay attention to the presenter. Hiring managers deal with the same thing during interviews. Although interviews are a bit more interactive, a dull attitude can be off-putting and in the end, lead to not being hired. The following article will cover helpful interview communication tips that will help you land the job.

1. Tone

Tone encompasses both your voice and body language. The moment you get to your interview location you should be shining with energy and enthusiasm. Show everyone your excitement. Even if the job isn’t your ideal landing spot, this is an opportunity to better yourself and your resume. Bring a positive attitude; every step that you take is a step towards your future goals. Our best tip would be to read the building. When you walk in, take note of how their employees interact and the kind of energy the hiring manager brings to the table. You want to try and replicate the culture a bit so that you seem like a better fit to the organization. Things to avoide:

a. Slouching
b. Hanging your head
c. Mumbling
d. Sarcasm
e. Negative comments

2. Speaking

When communicating with the interviewer/s, your speaking needs to be professional. Take yourself back to your speech class in college and try to recall everything your professor would grade you on. Volume, language, filler words, vocabulary. You want a strong combination of these attributes when talking. You want to be heard, but not loud. Project your voice appropriately so that the interviewer catches everything you are saying. Be aware of the vocabulary you are using. Watch your language; you don’t want to use expletive words in a professional setting. Being respectful is key. Use “yes sir/ma’am”, or “Mr, Mrs. Last Name”. A key for a strong interview is to create conversation. You don’t want to sound like a robot who’s only vomiting answers in response to questions asked. Making a connection with the interviewer will give you brownie points during the final decision. The best thing you can do before an interview is to practice. To see more tips on preparing for an interview, click here.

3. Eye contact

Staring into people’s eyes can seem romantic, while avoiding eye contact can make it look like you lack confidence. The way we use our eyes can tell a lot about a person. At times, improper eye contact can be awkward. In a business setting, your eye contact is just as important as body language and tone of voice. The rule of thumb is to create a triangle on a person’s face and to look at the middle of the triangle. This triangle is usually formed depending on the type of person you are speaking to. In a professional setting, you want to have the bottom line of the triangle at the base of their eyes and the top of the triangle in the middle of their forehead. Keep this in mind when communicating with your interviewer.

4. Questions

A good way to keep the conversation going and to make a connection with the Interviewer is to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the interview. Asking for clarity or examples can help you formulate or stall for time to form better answers. Sometimes there’s more behind the questions that are being asked. Listen intently throughout the interview so that you can pick up on key details that are important to the hiring manager.

When answering questions, find a way to relate back to yourself and your experiences. You are looking to both separate yourself from the competition while proving you are perfect for the job. One way to show you are a good fit is by showing how interested you are in the company. Do your research and ask engaging questions at the end of the interview. For example:

• In terms of this role – what is keeping you up at night?
• What issues are you having with product delivery?
• What issues are you having with sales results?
• What issues are you having with Product Quality?
• What issue are you having with account reconciliation? 
• What are the success factors for this role? i.e. What will I need to achieve so you know I have been a great hire?

These questions are used to help you demonstrate how you can create value for the business. You can find out their needs and respond with how you can fulfill them.

5. (Bonus) humor

Being humorous during an interview can either be a hit or miss. You want to make sure that it flows with the interview. You definitely shouldn’t interrupt the interview to tell a joke. You want to show that you can be a positive humorous person in the workplace. Nobody likes a boring, unmotivated coworker.

Humor is entirely dependent on the person. What you find funny may not be funny to another person. It may be best to let the interviewer start with the jokes to see what they find funny and roll with it. Nothing is worse than finding yourself in an awkward situation where something you thought was funny actually turned out to be either offensive or inappropriate. Humor should come with the stories you tell where it’s both appropriate and relevant.

We hope you like these communication tips and they help you perform well during interviews. What do you think? Let us know your tips.

5 Things you should do to prepare for an interview

Job interviews can be nerve-wrecking. You may start asking yourself, “Am I the perfect candidate? Do I even qualify? What kind of people are they looking for?” Being uncertain of the employer’s expectations can make you question if you are ready for the interview. We’re going to help you out. As a Staffing Firm, we are familiar with the interview process. We constantly see simple mistakes being made before the interview even happens. Here are 5 things you should do to prepare for an interview.

1. Research the Company

Even before you apply to a company, is to research it. Gain as much information as possible about the company in order to prepare yourself for the interview. Go on their website. Look for their mission statement. Find out what their goals are. You want to spend time on Google looking for recent articles concerning the business as well. Do so may lead you to recent events where the company may have sponsored something or took part in a special occasion. This type of news could lead to some interesting conversations with the interviewer.

Some common questions interviewers ask are:

• "What about our company peaked your interest?"
• "What Skills do you have do you feel could add value to our company?"
• "Are you aware of our current goals/mission?"

You want to be as prepared as possible for these types of questions. Interviewers like seeing candidates who have shown interest in their business. You could also research the interviewer themselves. Sometimes creating a personal_____ It gives you a chance to turn around and ask them questions about their business.

2. Ask yourself, what value do you bring to the business?

After researching the firm, you may have found what kind of challenges the business may be having. We propose a solution. Show the company the kind of value you bring to the table by presenting them your skillsets. An important key when going through the interview process is selling yourself. Using this information will help you look like a long-term asset.

Relate your skills to the job description and the company’s needs. Become completely confident in the skills you choose to present yourself with. Your resume provides the interviewer with a set of expectations. When presenting a solution, be sure that you can actually convert on it. Show them valuable numbers. Quantify your previous work, whether it is showing off the kind of profits you contributed to, or how your work was able to cut costs. Positive numbers will show proof of your value and will give you an advantage when interviewing for a position.

3. Print out a copy of your resume

When going to the interview, print out at least 3 copies of your resume. One for yourself, and two to share with your interviewer(s). Make sure your resume is both updated and relevant to the job you are applying for.

Your resume will be an outline for the interview. You can use it as a guide for when you are questioned. We recommend following our free resume guide. This template/guide has some helpful tips and recommendations from our recruiters.

4. Dress for Success

Too often do we see candidates go to an interview dressed inappropriately and unkempt. Get a haircut and put on your best suit. Shave off or shape up your beard. A clean look will give you an upper hand. Since it’s your first time interacting with the employer, you want to give off an excellent first impression. Not only should you wear the proper clothing, you should be wearing the proper expression. Look excited and wear a smile on your face. Show the interviewer you are excited for the opportunity and that you have a positive and approachable attitude.

5. Practice, practice, practice

Take the time to practice! Now you may be asking, how can you possibly practice an interview? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. Look up common questions that similar companies ask. Try answering them yourself. As you are answering these questions, try to be as creative as possible. Write down the first answer that comes to mind and then rewrite them. There’s a chance that the interviewer will be talking with other candidates. Establish yourself as a problem solver driving a memorable conversation.

Expert advice: Glassdoor and LinkedIn provide information for past candidates interviews including questions and tips on interview style. Take advantage of these posts to get a head start of the interview.

Make sure you practice your elevator pitch. Can you present yourself as a quality candidate in 30 seconds or less? For tips on how to create an elevator pitch, check out this link here.

There you have it, Engenium’s guide to the essential 5 tips to do before your interview. As a quick recap:

1. Research the business you are interviewing for.
2. Establish yourself as a problem solver and a value to the company.
3. Bring at least 3 copies of your resume.
4. Dress for success!
5. Practice answering common questions for your upcoming interview.

Follow these steps before your interview, we are certain that you will be well prepared. Go in with confidence, with these tips you are already ahead of the game.

Candidate Relationship Building – Lessons Learned

By Charles Elliott

As a Recruiter and a sales professional I am constantly looking for ways to improve by reading books, searching through articles, and receiving mentorship. This week was an education in the act of failing. A word and action many attribute a negative connotation to and look to avoid at all costs. On the contrary, it is necessary to be comfortable with failure as it is the only way to find success. Seeing it as a natural path towards your success sets value in the process, ultimately finding the best solution.

A critical part of the recruitment process is following up with candidates placed during their first three months, guiding them and setting the tone for a long lasting relationship. This is a great time to speak with the candidate to inquire how their ramp up period is progressing and to address any foreseeable problems that may arise. Paying close attention to how they react is key in finding useful information.

Most follow ups go off without a hitch with responses: “The job is going great” or “Thank you, I couldn’t advance my career without you”, this phone call was somehow different. I could hear a straining in his voice as he explained the job was going well but had not made a sale after 2 months of employment. This proved additionally worrisome for him sitting at their regular company meetings; hearing that sales were slow and cost reduction was top priority. Picking up on his concern that being the last one hired, he would be the first one to get the boot if things were to continue. Reading that this wasn’t a standard phone call follow up, I invited him out to lunch.

Over the course of an hour and a half he had explained to me this new role had a sales cycles that was much longer than his previous company and the paths he had tried to potentially make a sale have proven unsuccessful. He was hired as a problem solver, as someone who’s attention to detail could open new doors of business for the company. I could tell he was frustrated and seemingly out of sales solutions.

After a number of probing questions about his sales process I noticed when one of his efforts didn’t work out, he would administer a heavy weight of criticism upon himself impeding his performance. Inquiring further revealed the concept of “failure” was a viewed negatively amongst his family and friends. I was shocked that a man of his excellent sales skill would view failure so poorly.

I explained to him that failure was necessary, that it was a part of the sales process. Any professional I had come across embraced its intrinsic value. It was important to point out that failure without learned reflection could lead to repeating the same mistakes. His viewpoint on this concept was crippling his problem solving abilities.

I explained to him; actions he had done in the past deemed it necessary for him to learn from his failures and to view them as a positive. Dates he had went on that failed led him to his beautiful and capable wife, applications he had submitted to companies without response let him to this role. He was starting to understand that he had been learning from these challenges all along proving that this situation was no different. He left with a renewed sense of purpose and a different perspective on his now digestible problems.

I was extremely pleased I spent the hour and a half with him for lunch. Not only for the sake of saving a placement, It felt good to be a sounding board for a great candidate and help him see a path to success. This is one of the more rewarding aspects of my role as a recruiter.

I’ve adopted a philosophy over a decade of sales and recruitment experience. People don’t need to be told what to do, they grow when they find it through their own natural learning. Providing a question they have yet to ask themselves allows someone to take the natural steps relevant to their unique problem. We have our own choices to make and failures to learn from, how we can help is often taking the time to ask these questions.

Tags: Charles Elliott, Recruiting

Is Medical Simulation a Growing Market?

Medical simulation has been used for some time by the military to class any training for medical staff involved in various preparation for EMT, nurses or surgeons. These types of simulations were actually derived from the aviation industry. Back during the First World War, pilots would use simulation-based learning practices to train for flying aircrafts.

To put it bluntly the military adopted these simulation-based learning practices and placed a lot of emphasis on preparing their employees for training in hostile environments. Think of combat casualty care and how to treat the wounded in a war zone. According to Science Direct, Medical simulation training,

“trained young surgeons who could perform surgery in combat areas; improved methods of resuscitation; Increased the availability of antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents used as adjuncts to surgery; and improved means of transportation, including aircraft, for movement of convalescent patients over long distances, even to the continental United States.”

There are obvious benefits of medical simulation training not only in combat, but also in our everyday hospitals. These benefits include improving patient safety, preparing first time professional experiences, capturing the variety of possible patient problems, and the ability to tailor the range of difficulty when it comes to medical tasks. Constant training, practice, and learning helps improve the process. Developing “muscle memory” for those situations has been proven to save limbs and lives.

The Air force and the Navy have two large programs that use simulation to prepare and train staff – Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training (AFFMMAST) and Navy’s Medical Modeling and Simulation Training (NMAST). The Army uses the Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC) program – with more of a focus on Combat casualty care. During a fully immersive simulation learners enter into a realistic medical scenario where a high-fidelity patient manikin is being wirelessly operated by a simulation technical staff member. There are even times where a medical actor or standardized patient will be used instead to help drive the realism to the simulation. We have had success training standardized patients in the use of Human Patient simulators. They have the technical acumen to understand how to operate computer equipment or Audio Visual equipment. Standardized patients are already familiar with many of the medical terms we use during our Simulation Scenarios.

The lessons learned by these programs have been transferred to other Hospital environments. The NLN or National League for Nursing has approved the use of Simulation when training undergraduate nursing students - up to 50% of the study can include simulation. Our own experience at Engenium has shown a huge increase in the use of Simulation in Nursing programs and the feedback from (Initially) skeptical nurses has been welcomed by our own team of medical simulator operators.

At the moment, estimations show that the medical simulation market will grow at a CAGR of 15.2% from 2016 to 2021. That will be an estimated 2.27 Billion USD by 2021. According to Marktsandmarkerts, “This is primarily attributed to the increasing focus on training of medical practitioners, rising healthcare costs, growing focus on patient safety, and rising demand for minimally invasive technologies”.

In conclusion, the Medical Simulation is a growing Market. As started before, the benefits of using simulations can save lives. There are many major drivers to the global market of medical simulations. For example, there is the rising costs of healthcare and the demand for minimally invasive treatments. According to Transparency Market Research, these types of simulations have helped healthcare practitioners understand better procedures to prevent fatal mistakes while treating individuals. With 44,000 to 98,000 yearly deaths around the globe caused by medical errors during treatment, patient safety has become an extremely important growth driver for the Medical Simulation Market as an educational tool for students, doctors and surgeons.

Tags: Medical Simulation

What do Buyers do?

If you have ever seen a job advertisement for a Buyer it would initially seem that most people can do that job – After all, many adults Buy numerous products. They make purchases from clothes to food or cars; sometimes even houses or boats. Some adults buy luxurious items and exciting experiences or useless trinkets and pointless services. All of us have done some sort of buying and the more adventurous of us have even negotiated hard to get the best deal possible! Unfortunately the role of a Buyer is not that simple. If you want to make a career for yourself as a professional Buyer you need a certain set of skills and experience.

Let’s take a look at what Buyers really do.
Buyers are also known as Procurement agents or Purchasing clerks as well as many derivatives. Essentially a company Buyer must source appropriate goods or services to meet a company need. In the manufacturing world, an experienced Buyer can understand a highly complex Bill of Materials – (list of goods) that will be used to make a complex product. The Buyer must understand the technical requirements that are being specified and then be able to source suppliers that can meet those specifications. In the Aerospace and Defense community many company’s work to AS9100 where products must meet very strict manufacturing criteria. The Buyer then must have to negotiate pricing and delivery schedules based on manufacturing deadlines. Many Buyers use ERP systems, a shared database that supports multiple functions used by different business units, that allow their company to track and trace orders and move them through the manufacturing process. That way all goods ordered, or changes to orders are documented so there are no disputes as to pricing or specification changes. In essence, the Buyers role is to find high-quality supplies at a negotiateable price from a dependable supplier.

What’s the career path for a Buyer?
Many people move into Buying from Production Planning as they can understand the manufacturing process and the impact on late orders to the schedule. Production Planners fix the production goals and estimate the resources which are required to achieve these goals. Initially, a Buyer may be called Purchasing clerk or purchasing assistant. As the Buyer experience grows they may become Senior Buyers or Purchasing Manager or even Materials Directors. At more senior levels a Buyer may pursue a more formal training certificate such as CPM or CPIM through companies such as APICS, American Production and Inventory Control Society. There are cases where Buyers move up to other managerial positions such as a Supply Chain Manager or even a Strategic Sourcing Manager. Gaining experience in a Buyer role can lead to many new and exciting career paths.

What do Buyers earn?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay is $60,700 per year. Our more personal experience with Buyer salaries ranges between $50 – 60,000 per year for experienced candidates. Many times, Buyers are also paid commission and/or bonuses for their services.

Tags: Buyer, Procurement Agent, Purchasing Clerk