The house of commons was told that in a complete reverse of expectations, an additional 6,000 job centre workers would be required to aid people who have lost their job as the recession worsens.

Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell announced that the Government was taking action to help the economy after unemployment started to rise back in January and that the efforts of all the Governments of the world were aimed at making the downturn as short and as shallow as possible.

While Mr Purnell stated that an extra £1.3 billion is being invested to make sure job centres can respond, the shadow secretary Chris Grayling labelled it a farce. He said that almost 500 job centres had been closed since 2002 and that this trend has continued at the rate of one a week while unemployment has been rising.

Other concerns have been voiced by the Public and Commercial Services Union who worry that the 6,000 increase in staff at job centres might be at the expense of other Department for Work and Pensions sectors such as pensions and carers. They called for the Government to give assurances that the new jobs will not be at the expense of services elsewhere in the DWP.

Some interviews are just screening interviews . . . Q and A sessions . . . where you’re expected to jump through certain hoops to make sure you have the basic qualifications. These interviews are usually conducted by personnel staff or lower level management assistants. Here you have to articulately represent yourself and answer all the questions with enthusiasm.

But the real test comes when you move to the next level and you’re face to face with person who’ll make the final decision about you. This where it really hurts if you’re rejected.

When that happens we either blame ourselves for not answering all the questions . . . or not getting them right. Or we blame the employer for being unable to see the value of our credentials. If we’re serious about our job search, we replay the interview over and over in our head wondering what we could have done differently. We don’t want to make the same mistake again.

Sure, there may have been a disconnect between the employer and our work history. And maybe our educational credentials weren’t exactly what they were looking for. But in the final analysis there’s only ONE reason why your interview failed. When it comes to making a decision about you only one thing about you will make the difference.

The hiring decision-maker MUST like you.

That’s right. The only way you’ll get hired is if your next boss is comfortable seeing you as part of the team. He/she sees you fitting into the organization as part of its goals. The employer is comfortable that you can make a difference. And that comfort factor overrides everything. You can be deficient in a lot of areas, but if the decision-maker doesn’t genuinely like you . . . your out!

What that means is that you have to take a revolutionary alternative approach to interviewing. In fact, we call it the non-interview. You need to meet face-to-face with an employer in an environment where he/she can comfortably see you as a member of the team–and do so without prematurely judging you as a job candidate.

How do you do that? Well, of course it doesn’t happen by chance. But the good news is that there’s a proven system that can walk you through the process step-by-step with the result that you can be looking at a job offer in as little as 14 days! Check it out!

TIPS FOR WRITING RESUMES

Select A Format

A critical part of writing good resume is using the right format. Without the proper format, your resume will look like a PhD dissertation that will instantly bore the interviewer. A scattered and cluttered appearance will send the wrong signals about you. One suggestion is to use tables with light grey background for headings and to use bold font for subheadings. Details under the subheadings can be on white background and can be laid out in columns or bullets, if appropriate. You should always start with your name and contact details first. Don’t forget your email address. You want the person reviewing your resume to know that you at least have an email address! This sends the signal that you are tech-savvy.

Proofing Your Resume

A resume with lots of grammatical errors, or one that contains lots of typos drives recruiters crazy. Don’t forget that your resume is really an index of your abilities. If you can’t do this and you are applying for a proofreader’s job, you have failed miserably. More importantly, you run the risk of looking incompetent. If you can’t proofread your resume yourself, get a friend or a professional do it for you!

Presenting Your Skills As The Employers Would Like To See

This is where you can make the best possible impression, even if your education is not exactly what the employer is looking for. For example, you have applied for a job where the employer wants to know whether you can handle 1ooo payable and receivable accounts. Simply writing a bland statement that you maintained account records will not interest him. You need to make your skills match that of the job description. Put yourself in the shoes of the employer.

Use Power Words

Use power words or phrases such as “managed workflow direction” instead of “gave work assignments to staff”. Also use action-oriented words and instead of passive ones. Using high-end industry jargon also immediately creates a positive impression about you, that you are professional and knowledgeable. You want the employer to know that they are looking at a senior-level resume, not one of someone who merely takes orders.

Be Truthful

Quantify your achievements and highlight them in bullets. But being truthful is just as important. Telling a lie now, even if you get hired, could cost you your career later if you are exposed as a fraud.

TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS

Research The Company

In brief, you need to have gathered sufficient information on the organization. This should be information that has the potential to affect your long-term employment, such as ethics, environment and culture, potential for growth for both you and the company, your potential boss and subordinates etc. You also need this information so that you can ask intelligent questions during the interview. You don’t want to come off like a robot, or worse, like you were not even interested in the company enough to do come basic research.

Be Polite:

This sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Sadly, it isn’t always practiced by everyone. Be polite when greeting the interviewer. Shake his or her hand, and finally ask questions politely, even if the interview has lasted well over 2 hours. This is the time to take particular care to mind your manners. Never try to expose the faults of either the company or the interviewer (if any). Speak in an well-organized, structured manner. Mixing up concepts has the potential to confuse the employer and you potentially lose out if they perceive you as not having clarity of thought.

Present Your Skills

Present your skills separately - close off all other discussions. Before starting on this subject, make them understand what you are beginning to say, so that they are attentive. This is the most important factor they want to know about you after your character. Use concrete examples, and explain how they can benefit by hiring you. Speak about six sigma, justifying your expertise in this area with examples of various companies that are benefiting by implementing the methodology. Tell them that you can implement it in their company as well, or at least become a key player. Let them know that you play to win!

Ask Questions

Any questions should be limited to your work and the company. They should never be personal unless you have a special reason.

Practice, Practice!

Even if you are well prepared, employers can smell anxiety a mile away, and if you display this to the employer it will wreck your chances of getting the job. Anxiety often comes across to employers as desperation. Don’t let this happen to you. Practice, with a friend or in front of the mirror if you have to. The point to remember about the interview is to not let yourself fall prey to your own anxiety.

The Curriculum Vitae
The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts using the CVs they have collected.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these applications.

1. Make Your CV Stand Out
When preparing your C.V, make sure your C.V stands out among the rest. It should be the type that is appealing to the eyes, making the evaluating personnel want to read the C.V. Step two is for you to make sure your CV lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.

1. Make Your C.V Concise and Relevant
Avoid making your C.Vs too long. It may make it irrelevant to the evaluator. Remember that the employer is a person to whom time is important. If your C.V shows that you value his/her time while showing the most relevant information in the least amount of time, you will have won one important battle.

2. Always tailor your CV to the job.
You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different job opening purposes. Make sure your C.V is appropriate for the job. A one-size-fits-all C.V may not be the best way to go since the employer will have the impression that your previous efforts have not been focused enough to produce any specialization on your part.

3. Write about your achievements
You may add your achievements, but make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air. You may want to skip on listing your weak points as the C.V is not the avenue for such discussions.

4. Polish Your CV
Your employer will know if you have put enough time producing your C.V. If he/she sees that you have put sufficient and thorough effort into your CV, he/she will assume that you will do the same in your work. This is a big plus for you. It is not uncommon for some people to spend days or even weeks polishing and buffing their CVs.

Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States.

Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume. Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job.

I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career.

I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn’t out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that.

To begin with you really need to take a hard look at your resume. If you have always worked in one area and are applying for a position similar to those you have had in the past then your resume may just need some updating and polish. There are a number of good books and websites on resume writing. If you really need help then a resume service may be money well spent.
How many resumes do you have? There is no reason you can’t have several. I was applying for a variety of unrelated positions. I would of looked “over qualified” or my experience would of been too unrelated for the position if I stuck with just one standard resume. I created a “general” resume that listed a variety of skills that could fit any number of non specific jobs.

You can have one that is very specific for the industry you are applying for and there is no reason you can’t change it to a specific company especially if it will be scanned in and checked for “keywords” Some companies scan for keywords or buzzwords related to the position, their company or industry. Even if you are the most qualified person for that position, if your resume doesn’t have those keywords, it will never get seen.

In addition to having a few different resumes you should have it in several different formats also. If you need to mail it in then a nice easy to read printed resume is in order. Same if you will be faxing it in. If you email your resume then your cover letter will be the body of your email and your resume will be attached. Most employers request it be in a word .doc format or text but you can also use a pdf format. If you have your own website why not post it online with a link in your email.

Be sure to include several ways to contact you. Home phone, cell phone, email. I had the unfortunate luck of having my cell phone and my home phone cut off for non payment within a few days of each other. As luck would have it someone I sent a resume to tried to contact me and couldn’t get through. They did send me a email saying they couldn’t reach me.

I was able to call them and get a interview. Don’t leave anything to chance. And if they leave you a message get back to them ASAP while your resume is still on their desk. When you get a interview, be on time, be prepared, do your research about the company you are interviewing with. You can usually find most everything you need off their company website. Come prepared with extra resumes, helpful if you have to fill out a application. Also have copies of your updated references. It is best to have more than 3. Some companies want professional references including past employers, others want personal references of persons not related to you. Be prepared for both.

Where to find a job? Dig! And keep digging! You may never know where one will show up. In some ways the internet has made job searches easier with a variety of job sites to search. You should probably set up accounts at the large sites like hotjobs and monster which will allow you to post your resume and apply directly to postings Also take a look at sites like indeed.com.

They are a search engine of sorts for jobs. They search several jobs sites at once. Saves time from going to each site. Post your resume so employers can find you. ASK! Don’t be afraid to let everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Drop a email to anyone who might know someone who might have a job opening.

You might be surprised how many people really do want to help you. Network your pants off! If you don’t ask no one can help you. Search everyday. Try and send out at least one resume a day if not more. Pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper. Send out 5-10 at a time. And keep sending them even after you have interviews set up. You can easily fall behind two or three weeks if you stop sending resumes in hopes of that job offer coming through.

Nothing better than telling someone, “I’m sorry I accepted another position” Apply for every job you are remotely interested in even if you don’t think you are qualified. Every job listed always has a laundry list of qualifications and requirements. In a perfect world they would find the perfect person that would match every requirement. But employers know that person doesn’t exist and they are looking for someone who closely matches and they feel will be a good fit.

At the worst you will never hear from them. At the best they will offer you a job or maybe something different within their company. You can always turn it down. Even if it turns out to be something you really don’t want to do, it might help you get by for awhile until a better position comes along. Never be afraid to apply to any job!

Much of the growth in these occupations will come from cleaning residential properties. As families become more pressed for time, they increasingly are hiring cleaning and handyman services to perform a variety of tasks in their homes. Also, as the population ages, older people will need to hire cleaners to help maintain their houses. In addition, housekeeping cleaners will be needed to clean the growing number of residential care facilities for the elderly. These facilities, including assisted-living residences, generally provide housekeeping services as part of the rent.

Housekeeping cleaners perform any combination of light cleaning duties to keep private households or commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and nursing homes clean and orderly. In hotels, aside from cleaning and maintaining the premises, maids and housekeeping cleaners may deliver ironing boards, cribs, and rollaway beds to guests’ rooms. In hospitals, they also may wash bed frames, brush mattresses, make beds, and disinfect and sterilize equipment and supplies with germicides and sterilizing equipment.

Cleaners use many kinds of equipment, tools, and cleaning materials. For one job they may need standard cleaning implements; another may require a special cleaning solution. Improved building materials, chemical cleaners, and power equipment have made many tasks easier and less time consuming, but cleaning workers must learn the proper use of equipment and cleaners to avoid harming floors, fixtures, and themselves.

Cleaners and servants in private households dust and polish furniture; sweep, mop, and wax floors; vacuum; and clean ovens, refrigerators, and bathrooms. They also may wash dishes, polish silver, and change and make beds. Some wash, fold, and iron clothes; a few wash windows. General house workers also may take clothes and laundry to the cleaners, buys groceries, and performs many other errands.

Building cleaning workers in large office and residential buildings, and more recently in large hotels, often work in teams consisting of workers who specialize in vacuuming, picking up trash, and cleaning restrooms, among other things. Supervisors conduct inspections to ensure that the building is cleaned properly and the team is functioning efficiently. In hotels, one member of the team is responsible for reporting electronically to the supervisor when rooms are cleaned.

Building cleaning workers usually work inside heated, well-lighted buildings. Working with machines can be noisy, and some tasks, such as cleaning bathrooms and trash, can be dirty and unpleasant. They spend most of their time on their feet, sometimes lifting or pushing heavy furniture or equipment. Many tasks, such as dusting or sweeping, require constant bending, stooping, and stretching.

Cleaning supervisors coordinate, schedule, and supervise these activities. They assign tasks and inspect building areas to see that work has been done properly; they also issue supplies and equipment and inventory stocks to ensure that supplies on hand are adequate. They also screen and hire job applicants; train new and experienced employees; and recommend promotions, transfers, or dismissals. Supervisors may prepare reports concerning the occupancy of rooms, hours worked, and department expenses. Some also perform cleaning duties.

Building cleaners usually find work by answering newspaper advertisements, applying directly to organizations where they would like to work, contacting local labor unions, or contacting State employment service offices.

No special education is required for most cleaning jobs, but beginners should know simple arithmetic and be able to follow instructions. High school shop courses are helpful for jobs involving repair work.

Most building cleaners learn their skills on the job. Beginners usually work with an experienced cleaner, doing routine cleaning. As they gain more experience, they are assigned more complicated tasks. In some cities, programs run by unions, government agencies, or employers teach these skills. Students learn how to clean buildings thoroughly and efficiently; how to select and safely use various cleansing agents; and how to operate and maintain machines, such as wet and dry vacuums, buffers, and polishers.

Students learn to plan their work, to follow safety and health regulations, to interact positively with people in the buildings they clean, and to work without supervision. Instruction in minor electrical, plumbing, and other repairs also may be given. Those who come in contact with the public should have good communication skills. Employers usually look for dependable, hard-working individuals who are in good health, follow directions well, and get along with other people.

Advancement opportunities for workers usually are limited in organizations where they are the only maintenance worker. Where there is a large maintenance staff, however, cleaning workers can be promoted to supervisor or to area supervisor or manager. A high school diploma improves the chances for advancement. Some of them set up their own maintenance or cleaning businesses.

Supervisors usually move up through the ranks. In many establishments, they are required to take some in-service training to improve their housekeeping techniques and procedures and to enhance their supervisory skills.

A small number of cleaning supervisors and managers are members of the International Executive Housekeepers Association, which offers two kinds of certification programs for cleaning supervisors and managers: Certified Executive Housekeeper (CEH) and Registered Executive Housekeeper (REH).

However this is also one of the most common work at home scams. Because so many people feel comfortable with the idea of doing data entry at home, scammers know they can get people to pay them for opportunities that don’t exist. It really pays to know what a real data entry job looks like.

There are a few common scams. One is to disguise a business opportunity as a job. This scam is really only a scam because it pretends to be a job rather than a business opportunity. People can make money at it, but there is financial risk involved and you most certainly are not an employee of anyone, despite what these ads claim. Would you want to learn how to run a successful business from someone who lies to you about it being a job?

The opportunity is generally affiliate marketing for various products through Clickbank. Often they recommend placing pay per click ads in AdWords and other programs. As I said, people can and do earn money at this. However it is not easy and if that is what you want to do from home I strongly recommend learning about it from an honest source.

Another common scam is to request you pay a fee to show that you are serious. The supposed work is filing in forms with names and addresses to compile address lists for advertisers. However these jobs can often be done much more quickly and easily by computers.

Real data entry jobs may not sound that different at the start. I know of one company that does have you type in customer’s information from forms they filled out. That’s because you’re processing rebate forms. This particular job is limited to the Tempe, AZ area as you must pick up and drop off your work each day.

The difference, of course, is in the presence of an actual job. The scams may sometimes send you work but good luck getting paid. The real companies should have reputations you can check and you should be able to find other people who have successfully done the work in the past or are even doing it now.

You should not have to pay to get the job. The job probably will have standard equipment requirements for all contractors or employees. The most common requirement, aside from that of having a computer, which should be a given, is that you have a cable or DSL internet connection. Most companies will not accept dialup or satellite connections. Check the requirements of each company to be certain.

More and more sophisticated procedures, once performed only in hospitals, are being performed in physicians’ offices and in outpatient care centers, such as freestanding ambulatory surgical and emergency centers. Accordingly, employment is expected to grow much faster than average in these places as health care in general expands.

Hospital nursing is just one of the many areas where nurses practice. Examples of other practice settings include home care, private practice, public health, extended care centers, clinics, offices, schools, military service, corporations, health-related industries, hospice, occupational settings, and health and wellness centers.

The profession of nursing offers a wide variety of specialties. From pediatrics to geriatrics, nursing impact is felt across the lifespan. Here is a sampling of specialty areas from which you can choose: Ambulatory care, Burn care, Developmental disabilities, Emergency, Geriatrics, Home care, Intensive care unit (cardiovascular, medical, neonatal and surgical), Medical telemetry, Mother/baby care, Oncology, Operating room, Pediatrics, Psychiatric nursing, Recovery, Rehabilitation, Renal (diabetes and dialysis), Research, School nursing.

Nursing school requires a high school diploma and a sound academic standing in English, algebra, chemistry, biology and psychology. An understanding of computers and technology is a great asset. Leadership and organizational skills are equally important. You will do well in nursing if you can combine these skills and characteristics with a commitment to easing human suffering and a capacity to respond quickly in emergency situations. Getting along with people and good communications skills also are important since nurses relate to people from all backgrounds.

The nursing courses include classroom instruction and supervised clinical hands-on experience in health care settings. Students need good study habits and the ability to analyze and think through problems to be successful in nursing school. At the end of the nursing program, graduates must pass the state board licensure examination to become licensed as a registered nurse.

When studying, nursing is organized into four branches. During the first year of your course you will be introduced to these as part of the Common Foundation Program. In the second and third years you will focus on the branch you choose.

Adult nurses are primarily concerned with nursing sick and injured adults back to health in both hospital and community settings. What makes adult nursing such a challenge is the sheer diversity of situations you will have to respond to. You will be working with people who have acute and long-term illnesses. The mark of the professional is the ability to observe and assess what is happening with a patient at any one time and to select the most effective response.

It’s a demanding job with serious responsibility. In return, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you make a real difference in reducing suffering and promoting the health of people in your care.

Children’s nurses care for sick children and provide support to their families. Children’s nursing can take you from intensive care of a new-born baby with breathing problems to looking after a six-foot-tall adolescent whose leg has been broken in a soccer match.

The onset of symptoms can be sudden and extreme. Because children are still growing, the impact of the illness or injury on their development has to be taken into account. A rich mix of emotions often surrounds child illness such as panic, anxiety, anger, powerlessness, guilt. Children’s nurses work closely with patients’ families as part of the caring process.

Mental Health Nurses care for people with mental health problems in hospitals and in the community, helping patients to overcome their ill health, or to come to terms with it, so they can lead as normal a life as possible. The one-to-one personal relationships that mental health nurses form with people are at the heart of the care process.

Mental Health Nurses have to identify if and when a person may be at risk of harming themselves or others. You’ll therefore find yourself liaising professionally with a wide range of other services including social workers, police, charities, local government and housing officials.

As a mental health nurse you are likely to be dealing with people of all ages and from a wide range of backgrounds. As your career develops you may choose to specialize in areas such as drugs and alcohol misuse or working with offenders. You could also become involved in education, research, or management roles.

Learning Disability Nurses work with people with learning disabilities to help them become as independent as possible. People with a learning disability can struggle to cope with aspects of everyday, independent living.

The distinctive contribution of learning disability nurses is their concern to influence behaviors and lifestyles that promote health and well-being for individuals, and their families and careers. You will be working in a wide variety of settings: people’s homes, their family homes, residential care, schools, workplaces and leisure. As your career unfolds you can maintain this broad spread of activity, or you could choose to specialize in an area such as sensory disability, education, or management of learning disability services.

The main challenge is to remain constantly sensitive and alert in how you relate to people, helped by new technology tools such as sensory stimulation and interactive learning systems. Adaptability and resourcefulness in very varied work settings becomes second nature. Progress can be slow, but seemingly small things do mean a great deal. You are increasing people self-confidence and sense of worth, and enabling them to share more fully in the challenges and pleasures of living.

Today’s nurses can now be found in professional venues once thought impossible. Nurses influence legislation, change health care delivery systems, write and publish, educate about disease prevention and health promotion, and participate on boards of directors.

Essentially the only requirement is that you have a passion for food and for providing a great experience to customers. Whether you want to explore your managerial talents by supervising restaurant operations or business development, or you’d like a more hands-on approach by stepping foot in the kitchen, there are a wide variety of positions within a restaurant career. And for every position, there is exciting coursework available to get you the important knowledge and experience you need to really become a desired commodity in the workplace. Combine your ability to direct a staff with a degree in management, and you’ll be a valuable asset to any restaurant. Take your passion for food preparation and pair that with a degree in culinary arts and an internship at a reputable restaurant and your restaurant career will be off and running.

About 45 percent of establishments in this industry are limited-service eating places, such as fast-food restaurants, cafeterias, and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, that primarily serve patrons who order or select items and pay before eating.

Full-service restaurants account for about 39 percent of establishments and cater to patrons who order, are served, and consume their food while seated, and then pay after eating. Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) - bars, pubs, nightclubs, and taverns - primarily prepare and serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Drinking places comprise about 11 percent of all establishments in this industry. Special food services, such as food service contractors, caterers, and mobile food service vendors, account for less than 6 percent of establishments in the industry.

The most common type of a limited-service eating place is a franchised operation of a nationwide restaurant chain that sells fast food. Features that characterize these restaurants include a limited menu, the absence of waiters and waitresses, and emphasis on limited service. Menu selections usually offer limited variety and are prepared by workers with minimal cooking skills. Food typically is served in disposable, take-out containers that retain the food’s warmth, allowing restaurants to prepare orders in advance of customers’ requests. A growing number of fast-food restaurants provide drive-through and walk-up services.

Cafeterias are another type of limited-service eating place and usually offer a somewhat limited selection that varies daily. Cafeterias also may provide separate serving stations for salads or short-order grill items, such as grilled sandwiches or hamburgers. Patrons select from food and drink items on display in a continuous cafeteria line. Cafeteria selections may include foods that require more complicated preparations and greater culinary skills than are required in fast-food restaurants. Selections usually are prepared ahead in large quantities and seldom are cooked to the customer’s order.

Limited-service snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars carry and sell a combination of snacks, nonalcoholic beverages, and other related products but generally promote and sell a unique snack or beverage for consumption on or near the premises. For example, some prepare and serve specialty snacks including ice cream, frozen yogurt, cookies, or popcorn. Others serve primarily coffee, juices, or soda.

Full-service restaurants offer more menu categories, including appetizers, entrees, salads, side dishes, desserts, and beverages, and varied choices within each category. Chefs and cooks prepare items to order which may run from grilling a simple hamburger to composing a more complex and sophisticated menu item. Waiters and waitresses offer table service in comfortable surroundings.

Many popular full-service restaurants remain independently owned and locally operated. Independent full-service restaurants generally focus on providing a one-of-a-kind dining experience and distinctive design, decor, and atmosphere. Food and service remain the primary focus of the restaurant’s offerings, but physical setting and ambience are important components of that experience. They help establish a restaurant’s reputation and build a steady clientele.

Finally, the food services and drinking places industry covers a variety of special food services establishments, including food service contractors, concession stands at sporting events, catering firms, and mobile food services, such as ice cream trucks and other street vendors who sell food.

Many restaurants maintain websites that include menus and online promotions and provide information about the restaurant’s location and offer the option to make a reservation.

Food services and drinking places employ more part time workers than other industries. About 2 out of 5 workers in food services and drinking places worked part time in 2004, more than twice the proportion for all industries. This allows some employees flexibility in setting their work hours, affording them a greater opportunity to tailor work schedules to personal or family needs. Some employees may rotate work on some shifts to ensure proper coverage at unpopular work times or to fully staff restaurants during peak demand times.

Typical establishments have well-designed kitchens with state-of-the-art cooking and refrigeration equipment and proper electrical, lighting and ventilation systems to keep everything functioning. However, kitchens usually are noisy, and may be very hot near stoves, grills, ovens, or steam tables.

Dining areas also may be well-designed, but can become crowded and noisy when busy. Most food services and drinking places workers spend most of their time on their feet - preparing meals, serving diners, or transporting dishes and supplies throughout the establishment.

Kitchen staff needs to be able to work as a team and to communicate with each other. Timing is critical to preparing more complex dishes. Coordinating orders to ensure that an entire table’s meals are ready at the same time is essential, particularly in a large restaurant during busy dining periods.

Employees who have direct contact with customers, such as waiters and waitresses or hosts and hostesses, should have a neat appearance and maintain a professional and pleasant manner. Professional hospitality is required from the moment guests enter the restaurant until the time they leave.

The use of cranes and other industrial equipment has increased phenomenally in the last few decades, creating more job opportunities for professional crane operators. For ensuring the safety of crane operators, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) has made significant changes in existing regulations related to the training and qualification of crane operators. As per new regulations, it has become compulsory for crane operators to acquire the requisite certification before working in any industry that requires cranes. The NCCCO currently conducts certification programs for mobile crane operators, tower crane operators, and overhead crane operators.

Mobile crane operator

For becoming a mobile crane operator, you need to be at least 18 years of age, should meet physical requirements, and pass written and practical examinations. The certification program offered by NCCCO is for trained crane operators who are currently working in industries in the capacity of operators, maintenance staff, inspection staff, or training personnel. You must meet the ASME B30.5 physical requirements all throughout the certification program. The main theory examination consists of ninety multiple choice questions, which you will have to complete in ninety minutes. The remaining specialty examinations usually have 26 multiple choice questions that need to be completed in 55 minutes. The core examination is compulsory for all candidates whereas any one from the 4-specialty examination can be taken as per the candidates choice. The 4 specialty examinations are Lattice Boom Crawler Cranes (LBC), Lattice Boom Truck Cranes (LBT), Large Telescopic Boom Cranes (TLL) (Swing Cab), Small Telescopic Boom Cranes (TSS) (Fixed Cab). Lattice Boom Cranes, Large Telescopic Boom Cranes (Swing Cab), Small Telescopic Boom Cranes (Fixed Cab).

Tower crane operator

The basic eligibility criterion for a tower crane operator is the same as that of a mobile crane operator. The main theory examination consists of fifty multiple-choice questions, which you will be required to finish in one hour. The practical examination will test your skills in operating three types of cranes namely, Hammerhead, Luffer, and Self-erecting. You will not be required to give the practical examination if you have at least 1000 hours of crane related experience.

Overhead crane operator

The eligibility criterion for an overhead crane operator is no different from that for a mobile or tower crane operator. You will be required to pass the main examination, which typically consists of 60 multiple choice questions that need to be completed in one hour. The practical examination will test your skills in operating cranes such as Cab Operated and Pendant/Remote Control.

In any of these certification programs, you are allowed to select the date for taking your practical and written examination. You also need to confirm to the substance abuse policy of NCCCO that disallows candidates from using any substance that could impair the ability to operate cranes in a safe manner. The term substance may include drugs, look alike drugs, controlled substances, designer drugs, narcotics, anti depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. This policy will not apply on you if such substances have been prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner.

As a crane operator, you can get employment in any of the manufacturing industries where heavy goods and equipment need to be moved from one place to another. Job opportunities for crane operators exist at shipyards, ports, and railroad yards where large containers are loaded and unloaded. Companies that are into construction, energy, petrochemical and paper also employ crane operators.
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