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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?

Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Which Firefighting Job Should You Choose?Firefighting can be an exhilarating career, filled with plenty of opportunities for advancement. There are many different jobs available in a fire department and knowing which one best suits you can help you determine what courses you’d like to pursue during training.

Investigator

Investigators do what the name suggests, investigate the probable cause of a fire. An investigator has typically undergone police training as well as receiving their firefighter certification Texas. If you like detective work and want to keep your fellow firefighters safe, this job may be for you.

Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal

The fire marshal assesses situations and examines buildings for potential danger. They head up the Fire Prevention Bureau to keep their town and citizens safe. The deputy fire marshal works closely with the fire marshal and sends teams to inspect new buildings to make sure they’re up to code.

Engineer

The engineers on the team are trained to drive the various types of fire engines. They’re also responsible for providing water, maneuvering ladders and setting up equipment.

HazMat

These firefighters are trained in how to handle hazardous materials. If chemicals are involved in a fire, these technicians have the proper equipment and training to handle it safely.

Paramedic

Most firefighters must have a basic EMT certification to help them respond to medical emergencies on the scene. The paramedics have more advanced training and are sent in to cover the most severe medical cases.

Airport Fire Rescue

Firefighters need to be specially trained to fight fires that arise at the airport or on an airplane. Airport fire trucks have special equipment designed to respond well to this location as they need speed, high water-capacity and off-roading capability.

Captain

Once you’ve been in the firefighting work force for a significant amount of time, you have the chance to be promoted to captain. As the captain, you’re in charge of the fire station and you’re responsible for the other firefighters on your team.

Chief

The next step above fire captain is fire chief. They have similar responsibilities as the captain, but farther reaching. Instead of being responsible for one station of firefighters, they are usually in charge of multiple stations.

As you can see, a firefighting career can be diverse and fulfilling. With so many specialty training options, you’ll be able to tailor your career to your strengths. This will allow you to advance quickly through the firefighting ranks.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Why Should People Consider a Career in Therapy During the COVID19 Pandemic?

Why Should People Consider a Career in Therapy During the COVID19 Pandemic?

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | Why Should People Consider a Career in Therapy During the COVID19 Pandemic?COVID19 has led to huge numbers of people seeking a career change, whether this is due to the loss of a current position because of redundancy or simply having time to reflect and put lives into perspective.

One increasingly popular question people are asking is ‘how do I become a therapist?. In this crisis, people are focussing on helping others in every way they can. While medical staff are proving their worth during this time and are incredibly valued, the long-term effects of the pandemic are predicted to impact mental health more than anything else.

How Many People Are Wanting To Become A Therapist?

One of the easiest and quickest ways to determine the demand for anything nowadays is by analysing Google searches. Research by RTT shows that the term ‘how to become a therapist’ and similar phrases have seen a 10x increase within the first 6 months of the pandemic compared to the same months of 2019.

What Is A Therapist?

Therapists are essentially a guide, they aid people with mental health disorders or someone who is struggling with their own mind, to understand their feelings on a deeper level and learn to manage these and cope.

It’s important to know that therapists do not ‘cure’ people. Instead, they provide a safe space for anyone who needs it to be able to talk through their problems and explore any underlying issues or repressed feelings.

Psychotherapists are specially trained therapists who deal with a severe mental health diagnosis but do not have the authority to prescribe medication.

Why A Career In Therapy Could Be For You?

There is never a definitive answer as to why people want to become a therapist but quite often is it because of previous personal experiences.

This could be having struggled with mental health yourself and witnessing just how much a mental health professional can positively impact your life and wanting to do the same for others.

Another reason is some individuals have seen a loved one suffer from mental health issues, whether they sought professional advice or not, many see just how valuable therapists can be.

However, some wish to become a therapist without any previous related experiences, the need to help others is ingrained within human nature and turning this into a career can be very rewarding.

With a lot more free time on our hands at the moment, training in a new career has never been more popular. While a career change can be scary and even risky, especially during the pandemic, the mental health crisis is just as imperative as the COVID19 one and therapists are rising in demand.

What Skills Do You Need To Become A Therapist?

Becoming a therapist doesn’t happen overnight, depending on the student, it can take a few years to be fully trained and practising. The most conventional way is to undertake a BA within a relevant field and then proceed to do an MA.

After this, internships within a clinical practice are done to then be able to apply and obtain a license.

However, there are other routes for those who can not attend university for whatever reason. Training and qualifications within the following sectors do not require a degree:

  • Hypnotherapy
  • Rapid Transformational Therapy
  • Life Coaching
  • Neuro-Linguistic Programming

All of these can be just as rewarding.

However, even the most qualified professional won’t be successful if they don’t have some key personality traits to begin with, such as:

  • The want to help others and give advice
  • Being a good listener
  • Putting others before yourself
  • Compassionate, non-judgemental and empathetic
  • Strong-minded (you may hear many upsetting things every day)

What Do Therapists Earn?

The average earning for a therapist in the US is $48,000 but this can vary between states too.

Opening your own practice can lead to substantially more earnings and you can earn upwards of $82,000.

In the UK, the average wage for a mental health therapist is around £32,000 but those in the industry report anything from £25,000 to £41,000.

If you are a compassionate individual who strives to make a difference in people’s lives, why not consider looking into the best avenue for yourself to become a therapist? While it isn’t deemed as the easier of jobs, it is certainly one of the most rewarding.

Let’s Take Your Job Prospects To New Heights

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Are you interested in taking your career to new heights? In doing so, you will be able to obtain a higher income and improve your quality of life. You could also put yourself in the perfect position to manage or even own a business in the near future. If you have the right level of ambition and a strong determination to succeed, there are no clear boundaries on what you might achieve. So, let’s explore some of the best ways that you can boost up your carer.

Fix Your CV

First, you should definitely consider fixing your CV. If you think about it, this could be the first thing that might be blocking you from finding success on the market. Business owners and recruiters could be taking one look at your CV and deciding that you are not the right person for the job. The good news is that there are easy ways to correct your CV and ensure that it is guaranteed to impress any business owner. To do this, you need to start by ensuring that your CV is clear and to the point. It should fit a specific position that you are applying for perfectly which means that you do need to tweak it for each application.

You might also want to think about adding in a USP. This is something that will make your CV stand out from all the other CVs that could be viewed on the same day. Your USP could be anything from a second or third language to a fun example of work experience.

Set Yourself Up For The Right Promotion

Of course, one of the easiest ways to reach new heights in your career is to make sure that you are thinking about how to gain a promotion in a business that you are already a part of. To gain a promotion, you first need to make it known that you are ready for the new challenges and responsibilities that a role like this will include. Once you have done this, you can then think about making sure that you look like the perfect person for the job. It’s absolutely vital that you take the time to go the extra mile for the business and your clients.

Build Your Profile

You should also ensure that you are building up your profile and in particular focusing on your presence online. Be aware that these days it’s quite common for employees to search for a potential recruit rather than waiting for them to apple for a position. They can only do this if you do have a clear identity through social media. While people are often wary of putting themselves out there on social media, doing so could lead to fantastic results and ensure that you can get that call from a company that you haven’t even heard of with a job offer.

Gain new Qualifications

Of course, if you want to make sure that you are more hireable and an option for different positions on the market, then you do need to think about exploring new qualifications. This is easily one of the best ways to grow your career and these days it’s easier than ever to gain the qualifications that you need. You don’t have to spend a fortune or a lot of time getting qualifications. Instead, you can work from home in your spare time while you’re still completing your main job.

Explore Freelancing

Finally, you might want to escape the rat race altogether and instead branch out on your own. It is possible to do this if you become a freelancer. As a freelancer, you will be able to make sure that you can work as much as you like and build a network of clients that love your service. Once you have done this, you could even put the building blocks in place for your own business.

We hope this helps you understand some of the different paths you can take when you are looking to improve your prospects on the job market and in the world of business today. Regardless of whether you are comfortable working for other people or you would like to branch out on your own, there are lots of possibilities available to you here. It’s also a fallacy to say there’s a point where you can no longer pursue a possibility like this. As long as you have the right mindset, nothing, not even your age, should stop you from reaching for new goals in your working life.

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Petrochemical Business|8 Steps to Becoming a Better Leader Within Your Petrochemical Business

What Qualities Really Define A Business Leader Post Pandemic?

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Petrochemical Business|8 Steps to Becoming a Better Leader Within Your Petrochemical BusinessThe seismic effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic have impacted every single aspect of our lives, with the workplace and commerce in general changing unrecognisably in the space of just a few months. As workplaces transform and adapt in an effort to overcome the unique challenges they’re facing, so too do business leaders have to change and grow in order to remain effective. The pandemic has clearly shown us that leadership is much needed, and as the future continues to be uncertain, it will matter even more as we try to salvage an economic and social recovery. The right leadership has become a matter of life and death – quite literally in a lot of cases – and strong and intelligent leaders are now required to manage fractured supply chains, piece together industries and revive customer confidence. So, what are the key traits of successful leadership in a post pandemic world?

Empathy

You may have never thought of empathy as a key trait of a successful leader. But really, the pandemic has been a collective trauma for everyone, so displaying an understanding of that is absolutely crucial. Empathy can be displayed towards your own staff and also to society in general, modelling yourself after leaders such as Joz Opdeweegh who have called for support in society to combat the worst effects of the pandemic. Implementing Employee Assistance Programs and making sure they’re functioning effectively is a must, as is providing genuine support and encouragement to staff. You may need to also review some of your HR policies, especially around areas such as sick leave, dependents leave and access to counselling. If you fear that you lack natural empathy, make sure to surround yourself with others on your organization that do – you need to avoid any responses that may be seen as tone deaf or insensitive, as you could really damage employee morale and loyalty at a critical time.

Consistency

One of the things causing such distress for a lot of people is the lack of consistency that the pandemic has brought – rules changing overnight, conditions escalating rapidly. No one likes to live with continuing uncertainty, so it’s our role as leaders to provide consistency with our approach. Always base your decisions and communications on data. Making data-driven decisions removes emotion and bias from the equation and allows you to explain your decision making. Communicate clearly and frequently, even if there aren’t many new items to relay. This gives staff a sense of confidence and a knowledge that they can rely on your updates, and it doesn’t create a void for gossip and speculation to fill.

Flexibility

This ability definitely needs to become part of your professional development goals.
The ability to pivot is more vital than ever, as customer needs, supply changes and the economic landscape around us all shift rapidly. Responsiveness will begin to define those companies who are able to thrive and those which are devastated. Review new information and circumstances constantly in order to incorporate them into your decision making.

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | What Are the Organizational Benefits of Professional Development?

What Are the Organizational Benefits of Professional Development?

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | What Are the Organizational Benefits of Professional Development?Hearing the phrase “professional development” makes some people squirm, others roll their eyes, and a few actually listen candidly. There’s often a misconception that managers who suggest some type of professional development to their employees actually suggest it because of poor performance, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Professional development is a great way for people at all levels of an organization to hone in on what exactly they want their career path to look like and gives them the opportunity to experiment with new tools that might help them to get there. There are many different avenues of professional development, but some common types include seminars, workshops, conferences, career conversations, job shadowing, and online courses.

The Benefits of Professional Development

If you’re reading this and thinking, “as much as I’d like to offer these types of programs at my organization, it just sounds a bit time consuming and expensive,” then consider the many benefits:

Long-Term Money Savings

As the tried-and-true sales saying goes, it costs more money to acquire new customers than it does to retain existing ones. The same goes for people within an organization.

It is important to note, however, that poor employee development (unorganized structure, prioritizing high performers over the whole, etc.) will cost more time and money than no development at all. So if you’re going to go in, go ALL in.

There’s No “I” In Success

Some people enjoy the monotony of knowing exactly what their tasks are for the day, how long it will take to complete them, getting them done successfully, and doing it all again tomorrow. Others like a challenge—setting higher goals and aiming for the moon. By understanding the unique motivations of your employees you can tailor a different professional development plan for each individual. Skilled managers should strive to foster their employees’ development because when your employees are successful, then everyone is successful. By creating professional development plans, you can combat complacency and build teams from simply competent to excelling in no time.

Improve Company Culture

Company culture may seem like a cliche buzzword, but it still holds a lot of value to today’s labor force. As of 2019, 46% of job seekers say company culture is very important when applying for a specific role.

Now more than ever, employees are worried about crafting a sustainable career with a company that has values closely aligned with their own.

Initiate Professional Development Conversations With Employees

“But how do I go about starting the conversation on employee development,” you ask? It’s simple, talk to your team and discuss your motivation for wanting to start a development program. If you’re in a hybrid or remote work environment, you can easily set up a video conference call and begin asking questions to get the team thinking about how they would like to see their role expand.

One great question to ask your team is: “How can being an employee here help you become the person you want to be?” It shifts the perspective from “what” you would be (your duties in a role) to “who” you would be (emphasizing you as an individual.) Unlocking your team’s core values will help you further understand their goals as well as new ways you can help support their success. After all, contributing to meaningful work is the number one reason employees choose to stay in their current positions.

Foster Professional Development During COVID-19

It might be daunting to talk to your employees about their careers in the midst of a pandemic, but, nonetheless, these are still important conversations to have. It’s vital to utilize a secure network option to ensure your line of communication is private and confidential. Other tools like learning management systems make it easier to track employees progress with special e-learning courses unique to the company.

You can test the waters of your development plan by checking in on your remote employees often, and making sure they know that you’re accessible, even if it’s only over Zoom. You can also encourage their success by highlighting them in larger team meetings.

After getting a feel for the areas your employees have expressed interest in, try introducing them to other people in the company that have experience in those areas. Professional development doesn’t have to be only hard skills—it can also include soft skills such as networking or public speaking.