Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
The Night Worker
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world for my Social Psych blog, I started to think about our present work world and how its operations have changed the lives of millions of workers. I manage a 24/7 emergency crew (mental health). We handle callers from early evening until 7 AM, plus weekends and holidays. During the course of the night, we talk to hundreds of people from all walks of life. Until a few years ago (except for intermittent wartime production requirements), the people who worked through the night were limited to emergency services (police, fire, hospitals), the telephone company, a few booming manufacturing plants, and the military. Now we expect to order items, day or night, by telephone. We demand that support services for all our transactions be available 24/7. How do night workers cope? For some, night work is a blessing, freeing up daytime hours for childcare or school. For those with limited skills and reduced income potential, moonlighting at night is a chance to earn a decent income. But night workers also pay a price: they never get quite as much sleep as their daytime compatriots. There is always so much more to get done during the business day and they receive constant interruptions from a world operating on an opposite schedule. After a period of time, they either adapt or quit. Studies have shown that night workers suffer more injuries, make more errors, and experience more medical problems than do first shift employees. Those figures suggest that we function more efficiently in the historical tradition of sunup to sundown. We are not, by nature, nocturnal creatures. The most difficult schedule to absorb, though, is one that undergoes frequent change. In some companies, shifts change monthly. I worked with a large manufacturing company years ago (a lot of their employees suffered injuries and needed my services), that held weekly seniority bids on all frontline positions. This meant that relatively new employees might work days one week, swing the following week, and graveyard the next. When I pointed out a possible connection between these horrible work schedules and the company's accident rate, I was told that the Union refused to allow any changes in the system. Now unions are supposed to represent the needs of the workers, aren't they? How could they possibly justify the stress they were causing their own members? I finally figured out (sometimes I'm a little slow!) that their members with seniority liked the system because they could easily change their work hours for a week if something came up or they wanted to avoid working for a particular foreman. Those who had the luck to get in early had a terrific advantage over the newbies. Like the initial members of pyramid schemes or Multi-Level-Marketing scams, they were on the gravy train. And the newcomers - the recently unemployed, minorities, women, the disabled - were left the dregs to fight over while mired in their constant vulnerability to layoff. Virginia Bola operated a rehabilitation company for 20 years, developing innovative job search techniques for disabled workers, while serving as a Vocational Expert in Administrative, Civil and Workers' Compensation Courts. Author of an interactive and supportive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The Worker's Edge, she can be reached at http://www.unemploymentblues.com or http://layoffblues.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES: Corporate Lowe's Careers Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) Working for ICE ice.gov Careers University of Northern Colorado Meet a millennial who quit her tech job, temporarily moved to Paris, and started a baking business in NYC Business Insider How to use AI to get a job interview and nail it – along with the salary you deserve | Job hunting The Guardian Careers at FEMA FEMA.gov Careers City of Ontario, California (.gov) Job Loss Is a Kind of Grief The Atlantic Careers at Prairie View A&M University PVAMU Home Careers | Home USDA (.gov) Jobs Multnomah County Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Improve Your Chances of Landing That Job Interview IEEE Spectrum Careers - MDOT Maryland.gov Work at Fairfield Fairfield University Careers Baxter Careers Johnson & Johnson Store Hourly Job Areas Target Employment Opportunities | Game Commission Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Careers at USCIS USCIS (.gov) Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs and Training at FDA fda.gov Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shares his top tips for a successful career: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail’ AboutAmazon.com Work at Butler Butler University Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group Careers Employment | Department of Corrections Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov) Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Career Opportunities UMHB Finding Your New Career at the City of Phoenix City of Phoenix (.gov) Careers at Willamette Willamette University Jobs Report NFIB IOM career gateways International Organization for Migration Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers Washington State University Careers BASF EPA employees rally in Denver against President Trump’s job and funding cuts Colorado Public Radio Jobs at Liberty University Liberty University Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Student internships at J&J Johnson & Johnson Careers Careers | Human Resources Seattle University Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them The World Economic Forum Why hasn’t AI taken your job yet? Financial Times Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis, MO (.gov) Ready for your next great job? ADP Careers Careers WV Department of Education Our Hiring Process Target Careers The Ocean Cleanup Job Seekers Illinois Human Resources Careers CrowdStrike UF Health Careers UF Health Careers DOGE Terminated Me After I Moved Away From My Family for a VA Job Business Insider Careers at Union Union College Internships and Career Opportunities | Home USDA (.gov) KPMG Careers KPMG Jobs for Veterans and transitioning military VA Careers (.gov) Human Resources Department City of Phoenix (.gov) As Layoffs Continue, Federal Workers Face Sluggish Job Market The New York Times Careers Euromonitor Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Current opportunities Turner & Townsend Recorded Video Interviews Target Career expert offers advice for frustrated job seekers National News Desk RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO POLICY-INFLUENCING POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE The White House (.gov) Job application FAQs Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade AP News 3. Skills outlook - The Future of Jobs Report 2025 The World Economic Forum WORK AT LVMH LVMH Top 9 most in-demand tech jobs of 2024 TechTarget |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Learn How to Throw a Boomerang Actually, "the boomerang effect" is a relatively new trend of inviting back talented former employees into the fold.Surveys indicate 12% of employers cautiously admit they would re-hire ex-employees (alumni). Working From Home - Could You Cope? It is a well-known fact that more and more people are choosing to work from home rather than face the daily agony that is otherwise known as commuting. There are many companies that are even encouraging this practise amongst their permanent staff as a viable alternative to travelling to work. Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 7 Hot Tips So you've managed to secure a job interview for a position thatfits you PERFECTLY. Now comes the moment of truth: Are youREALLY ready for the interview? If you've rehearsed what you'regoing to say and know the perfect answer to every potentialquestion, you're half way there. Mystery Shopping - An Excellent Part Time Job Or Additional Income Source Though the name itself may seem a bit mysterious, the concept of mystery shopping is actually straightforward. Also referred to as secret shopping, performance evaluations, service checks and frontline evaluations to name a few, mystery shopping allows companies to obtain a "snapshot in time" by trained researchers who know in advance what they are to evaluate. Genes and Work Ethic If you have good genes, you are blessed. If they are exceptional, you might be successful on that alone. The Secrets to Interview Success Many well qualified and extremely able candidates fail at job interviews simply because they are unaware of the conventions of the job interview and the expectations of the interviewer.Successful candidates, on the other hand, manage to impress prospective employers precisely because they know how to present themselves. Job Interviews: Identifying & Using Your Most Important Asset When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what do you think is your most important asset? Your experience? Knowledge? Skill? Talent?While all of those are advantages that will help you achieve your goals, there's one thing that's more important than all of them combined.Your attitude!Let me illustrate my point. Alert! An Over-50 Jobseeker Has Just Entered the Building Interviewing Tips for the Older Job-seeking PopulationA red alert is probably melodramatic, but I'm sure jobseekers in this age bracket probably feel there is one. The bulk of the job-seeking population is currently facing job-search woes that the elderly population has been experiencing for years. Successful Job Seeking - The Importance of Your Cover Letter As an employer I receive many job applications each week. Some cover letters are so well written that I am compelled to review the attached resume even if our company is not currently hiring. Resume Writing Tips Make sure that your resume is up to date with your latest job experience and educational accomplishments. Have a friend or relative evaluate your resume to see if it is clear, consistent, and fairly represents your skills and experience. A Concept That Could Double Youre Income in Mystery Shopping Do you want to double, or increase significantly you're income in mystery shopping? If yes, I'll be sharing to you an age old concept. Now you might have learned this already or you may consider this common sense. Relocation Issues...Who Will Pay? In light of recent unemployment figures, and a continual downturn in the labor market, many unemployed professionals are finding themselves in a bind when their benefits or severance packages are depleted. It is not easy to compete with 300-600 resumes for one job. Writing Resumes That Attract Your Perfect Job Let me introduce you to Ben. He made it happenBen was a comptroller. Energizing Synergy Would you like to have more energy and synergy in your job and career? If you are not enjoying work the way you used to and if you would like to contribute in a manner that produces more results with less effort, then Energizing Synergy is what you need to cultivate.Be honest with yourself for a moment and answer the following questions:Are you energized or drained at the end of a workday?Are you out of sync with the business direction the company is taking, and do you understand the business rationales for any new changes?Do you do your part to promote an upbeat and positive work environment?Are you constantly learning at work?ENERGYEnergy is the effort you vigorously exert to accomplish a task or to do your work. How to Get the Job You Want in Any Economy... Act Like a Headhunter Having spent the last few years of my career in the staffing and recruiting industry, I'm asked all the time by friends and relatives if I can help them find a more desirable job. I've helped my fiancé get a job, helped my college buddies get jobs after graduation, and even helped a few high school buddies find jobs having not seen them for years. Job Interviews -- The Four Worst Objections You'll Face and How to Deal with Them Dealing with tough questions and objections is an essential part of job interviews. Here are four common ones that derail many candidates. Job Trap; Relationships with Co-workers Most of us interact with our co-workers on a daily basis, its what helps us get through the day. Most employers go to great lengths to promote the "team", some thousands of dollars on retreats and seminars and the like. What To Do Ever had that perfect life when everything seems perfect yet you wanna die. I am in the situation where I have the perfect imperfect world. Networking is the Key to Star Performance in Everything You Do. Many people's idea of networking relates to the 'size of their Christmas Card List, rather than the quality of their relationship with each person on that list. Similarly those people network, but few reap the rewards of zeroing in on their potential. Common Résumé Mistakes Using a general résumé.DON'T DO IT! You cannot successfully use the same résumé to apply to several different jobs.
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|