Another Job Hunting Technique

Now we can post your resume on the web, specifically at http://iheresumes.blogspot.com/.  When you send your resume to the Career Services Department (CSD), include a note to them that you would like your resume posted online.  CSD will forward it to me, and I'll post it and tell you the URL (web address) of your online resume, which you can include in your cover letters when you apply for jobs.

A word of caution:  Remember that when you post something on the internet, everyone can see it.  This includes your phone number, email address, postal address, and anything else you include.  Remember that there are criminals on the internet.

This poses a problem.  You want potential employers who see your resume to be able to invite you for an interview, but you do not want just anyone to know where you live.

Here are two possible options:

1.  We can ask potential employers to contact us directly.
2.  If you have a profile on LinkedIn or other website, you can include the URL for your profile.  This way, people can send you emails indirectly even if they do not have your email address.

Remember that IHE is closed Good Friday, April 6.

News Briefs, March 28, 2012

Have you ever used Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org/)?  This website has countless practice problems and videos.  If you’re stuck on a math concept, want to learn about finance, or need health-related information, this website can be a good place to start.  Topics are listed by category.  Find a category in algebra and try a sample problem.  If you miss it, you can learn how to solve it.

The newest book in IHE’s collection is Emergency Guide for Dental Auxiliaries by Debra Jennings and Janet Bridger Chernega (ISBN 9781111138608, call number RK305 .C44 2012).  As you can see from the call number, this book was published just this year, but we also have an earlier edition from 2002. 

The entry on the 2012 edition in our online catalog (http://ihelib.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-do-i-use-our-online-catalog-to-find.html) includes a link to the publisher’s web page about the book.  If you click on it, you will be led to http://www.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do?Ntt=9781111138608||210332382776941388013224666361957048113&N=16&Ns=P_CopyRight_Year|1&Ntk=all||P_EPI.  The page has information about the book, including an overview, the table of contents, and “New to this edition” features which show what the 2012 edition has that the 2002 one does not.  You can learn a lot about what is in this book (and how useful it is to you) before you even find it in the bookshelves.

 Friday marks our registrar Komal Patel's last day at IHE.  Good luck, Komal!  We hope you visit soon.

New Books: March 21, 2012

Title	Author(s)	Call Number	ISBN
Black Boy (American Hunger):  A Record of Childhood and Youth	Richard Wright	PS3545 .R815 Z5 1993	0060812508
Dental Terminology	Charline M. Dofka	RK28 .D64 2012	9781133019718
A Documentary History of the United States	Richard D. Heffner	E173 .H5 1965	None, LCCN 65004162
Don Quixote, of La Mancha	Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, translated and edited with an introduction by Walter Starkie	PQ6329 .A2 1957	0451626842
The Hunt for Bin Laden:  Task Force Dagger	Robin Moore	HV6432 .M65 2003	0375508619
Unto the Sons	Gay Talese	E184.I8 T35 1992	0679410341

A Documentary History of the United States features the texts from many of the most important documents and speeches in the country’s history, from The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution to John F. Kennedy’s speeches.  Do you think this book will have the text Barack Obama’s inaugural address?   Hint:  Look at the call number.  This book has had several editions over the years and been continuously updated, but its call number shows that this particular edition was published and/or copywritten in 1965.  Similarly, if you have been following the news over the past few years, you can see that The Hunt for Bin Laden:  Task Force Dagger could not possibly end with the death of Osama Bin Laden because it had not yet happened in 2003.

In certain cases, the date does not matter as much.  Black Boy (American Hunger):  A Record of Childhood and Youth and Don Quixote, of La Mancha are classic works of literature, so it would not matter if these books were published in 2012 or 1912—as long as they were still in good condition.

Which of these books was published the most recently?  Answer: Dental Terminology.   We have an earlier edition of this book from 2000, but the facts in it have been updated since it was first published.  If you compare the 2000 and 2012 editions, you would find some differences.  To find out more about these differences, you can visit the publisher’s website at http://www.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do?N=16&Ntk=P_Isbn13&Ntt=9781133019718#mainTab_2.

Three Little Words--And, Or, and Not

When you search for information, three of the most important words in the English language are also three of the most common:  and, or, and not.  These words are called Boolean modifiers.

George Boole (1815-1864) was an English mathematician and logician whose work makes him one of the most important influences on the history of the computer, even though electronic computers were not invented until the twentieth century.  Computers complete millions of functions based on the way Boole’s work classifies information, called Boolean logic.  

You can use Boolean logic to make internet and database searching much simpler.  An article at http://www.knowledgecenter.unr.edu/help/using/booltips.aspx explains how using the words and, or¸ and not can help you get better results with your search terms.  For example:

	If you type in the search box…	Your hits will include…	But not…
1	healthcare and marketing	Every article that includes both the words healthcare and marketing	Articles that have only one of those words.
2	healthcare or marketing	Every article that includes the words healthcare, marketing¸ or both	Articles that do not include either of those words.
3	healthcare not marketing	Every article that includes the word healthcare but not the word marketing	Articles that include the word marketing and/or do not include the word healthcare.

Which of those three search methods could give you the most results?  Answer:  #2 because it will include all the results of #1 and #3 and probably more.

 

If you are researching healthcare marketing, do you think you should use #1, 2, or 3 in the chart above?  #1 is probably the best because you know that every article will include both healthcare and marketing.  #3 is the worst choice because you would not find any articles that include the term marketing, which you want, and #2 is not as good as #1 because it will include some articles that you want and some that you don’t, such as those that are about only healthcare or only marketing.

Hmm…If we’re researching ways that people market healthcare, we should remember that health care sometimes is written as two separate words.  How can we be sure that we can get articles about “healthcare marketing” and “health care marketing”? 

Some databases and search engines have an “advanced search” feature, allowing you to make more than one requirement.  Even if they don’t, you can still try searching for a search term along the lines of marketing and (“health care” or healthcare).  This will give you articles feature the word marketing and either the term health care or the word healthcare.   (Note that the quotation marks show that we are looking for the exact term health care, with the two words next to each other.)

Note:  Our online catalog at http://opac.libraryworld.com does not use Boolean modifies.  As far our catalog is concerned, and, or, and not are just words to search for.

A Nurse's Visit

Today, Jessica Matfield, R. N., spoke to IHE students about her experiences working in a nursing home and the lessons she has learned.   Among the topics:  how to become a nurse, how to dress and act on the job, and how to interact with people with handicaps.  As a woman who is blind in one eye, she has experienced discrimination — and that has only inspired her to work harder to perform her job with professionalism.  Jessica also implied that IHE students should take advantage of their classes and externships by arriving on time, learning all they can, and not leaving until the end of the session.

Afterward, Jessica told me that she enjoyed the talk, especially answering students’ questions.  She also left her contact information with the Career Services Department and with me in case anyone has any further questions.

I also would like to hear from you.  What other types of sessions and speakers would you like to see at IHE?  Would you like to hear from doctors, dentists, office managers, nurses, or people in your field?  What about IHE alumni?  What topics would you like to learn about?  If you were at Jessica’s talk, did you find it helpful?

Two Web Resources

The website Job & Career Accelerator (http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/index.cfm/general) can help you not only when you are looking for a job, but also when you are deciding on a career and even a place to live.   How much does the average dental assistant make in New Jersey?  How about in New York?  The United States?  What tools and skills do you need to master?  (Actually, you classes at IHE should help you answer the last question on your own.)  Additionally, there are tutorials that help you write a resume and cover letter, complete a job application, and have a successful job interview.  There is even an “Occupation Matcher” feature that can suggest a good career path for you based on how you answer a questionnaire.

Job & Career Accelerator is one of many websites that you can use to find a job.  Today I used a website called Animoto that helped me create a music video using photos of IHE students and faculty.  You can watch this video at http://animoto.com/play/AritMqDAUtd3kiPi110cZg or make your own at http://animoto.com/.

Creating an Animoto video can be a fun way to organize pictures or create a free gift for someone.  Do you think it can it help you with your career search as well?   

New books: March 12, 2012

Title	Author	Call number	ISBN
At the Mountains of Madness: And Other Tales of Terror	H. P. Lovecraft	PS3523 .O833A9x 1982	034530232X
Essays, Speeches, & Public Letters	William Faulkner	PS3511.A86 A6 1966	None; Library of Congress Control Number 64020036
HIV Positive	Bernard Wolf	RC607.A26 W646 1997	0525454594
Leaves of Grass	Walt Whitman	PS3201 .A1 19uu	None
A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology	Ruth Werner	RM721 .M366 2011	9781608319107
Microorganisms:  The Unseen World	Edward R. Ricciuti	QR57 .R53 1994	1567110401

This new batch of books for the library includes literature by three classic authors, a book for massage therapists (which can be useful for physical therapy students as well as masseuses), and two books that might seem strange inclusions.  HIV Positive and Microorganisms: the Unseen World are about topics that some of our students need to understand, but they are written for young readers.  Actually, when adults conduct research, especially about a topic that they do not know well, children's books can be a good place to start.  They might not be scholarly sources, but they can give the readers clear understandings of the topics, which helps the researcher understand more sophisticated books and articles.


Can you guess why Leaves of Grass, a book by the nineteenth century poet Walt Whitman, has a call number ending with 19uu?  There is no date of publication on this book, but it appears to have been printed sometime between 1900 and 1950; we just do not know the exact date.

How Is Research Like an Onion?

How is research like an onion? 

It’s not just because both have many layers.  (I apologize to Shrek for stealing and re-purposing this comparison).  

On this blog, I commonly write about the importance of evaluating the accuracy of information, whether it is from a photograph or a passage on a website.  

Sometimes people who spread false information online are trying to cheat people out of money, but others are only trying to help people.  They have no idea that what they are posting is inaccurate.

My friend just posted the following internet meme (words or an image that many people share online) on Facebook.  While reading it, decide if it seems accurate to you.

“In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

“The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then).

“The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

“Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work.. (And no, she is not in the onion business) The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

“If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case..

“Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

“…Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmers story, but I do know that I contracted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar... placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs... sure enough it happened just like that... the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

“Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties” (retrieved March 7, 2012, from http://www.hoax-slayer.com/onions-flu-remedy.shtml).

My friend had only the noblest of intentions.  He read this meme and re-posted it because he wanted to help others prevent the flu.  However, I was skeptical of how accurate this story was for several reasons:

1. The article did not quote an expert such as a scientist or doctor—actually, it did not quote anyone.  Articles should use expert testimony and cite proper sources.
2. The tone of the article is vernacular—in other words, it reads like someone telling a friend a story, and the grammar and punctuation have mistakes.  For example, one paragraph begins, “Now there is a P. S. to this…”  Do you think that this phrase would appear in a scholarly article?
3. The evidence is all anecdotal, meaning it is something that the author or authors claim happened to them or have informally heard about but does not include scientific data.  Anecdotal evidence can be useful if it is documented properly, i. e., if the authors had explained specifically where they had learned about the information in the article, but it would have been better to have included scientific evidence, such as the findings of scholarly articles.  How do we know that anecdotal evidence is true?  For all we know, the author just made up this story.  (To read more about anecdotal evidence, read “Anecdotal vs. Scientific Evidence" at http://www.personal.psu.edu/pel2/blogs/whitepine/2008/03/anecdotal-vs-scientific-eviden.html.)
4. I used my own judgment.  Leaving an unpeeled onion out prevents people from getting the flu?  It seemed silly.
5. I saw it on Facebook. 

So I searched for articles that investigated the accuracy of this meme.  I wanted to find three.  The Rule of Three states that three of anything is stronger than just one or two.  "Three" suggests a pattern.  The number three appears in religions, jokes, and fairy tales (for example, the Big, Bad Wolf hunts three pigs and Cinderella attends a ball three times).   When I research something, I like to find three reputable, independent sources with the same information.  I am more likely to believe three good sources than just one or two.

First, I found the article “Onion Fielded” (http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/onion.asp) on Snopes, a website that calls itself “the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation” (retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/).  The article’s author analyzed the meme, researched its findings, and decided that it was false.  The article mentions that the onion method is over 100 years old, but, “No scientific studies back it, and common sense rules it out:  cold and flu viruses are spread by contact, not by their nasty microbes floating loosely in the air where the almighty onion can supposedly seek out and destroy them.”  The article also quotes The Wall Street Journal, a reputable newspaper, and includes a bibliography.

My second source analyzing the meme was a discussion page on the University of Minnesota's website (http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0910&L=comgar-l&P=5476).  Someone named Ginny Zawistowski addressed the meme:   

"Well, I don't think it would hurt you to put onions around your house, but the story is highly suspect.  The first tipoff is that viruses and bacteria are two entirely different types of organisms...Also, you would not have been able to see a virus under the microscope in 1919, because the electron microscope wasn't around yet.  (I don't think the actual influenza viruse was even isolated until the 1930's?)..."

It is not clear from this page who Zawistowski is, and whether or not she is an expert on chemistry or medicine, but she mentions a few good points.  If I wanted to check her facts, such as when the electron microscope was invented, I easily could—and if I were writing a paper on the subject, I would have to do so.  She also provided the URL of the Snopes article that I just read.

My third source was Hoax-Slayer, a website similar to Snopes. 

“Hoax-Slayer is dedicated to debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues. Hoax-Slayer allows Internet users to check the veracity of common email hoaxes and aims to counteract criminal activity by publishing information about common types of Internet scams. Hoax-Slayer also includes anti-spam tips, computer and email security information, articles about true email forwards, and much more. New articles are added to the Hoax-Slayer website every week” (from http://www.hoax-slayer.com/).

Hoax-Slayer's article on the subject is titled "Flu Remedy Myth - Onions Absorb Viruses and Bacteria From a Room" (http://www.hoax-slayer.com/onions-flu-remedy.shtml).  This article’s conclusion is similar to with the others’, that onions cannot prevent diseases simply by absorbing harmful microbes, although onions are healthy to eat.  The author also quote the same Wall Street Journal that is mentioned in the Snopes article, and other sources beside, including one by Dr. Joe Schwarcz of McGill University's Office for Science and Society—a great source if Schwarcz is a real doctor.  My guess is that he is, but if I were writing a paper and wanted to quote him, I would need to confirm that he is a doctor.  McGill University’s website probably lists his credentials, so this is the first place I would look. 

And if I were writing a paper, I would look for scholarly articles on the subject, not just popular websites like these.  I explained the difference between scholarly and popular articles on the blog entry “What Is a Scholarly Article?” (http://ihelib.blogspot.com/2012/01/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_23.html)  Remember that your Jersey City Free Public Library card allows you access to databases with many scholarly articles (http://ihelib.blogspot.com/2012/01/you-can-get-jersey-city-free-public.html).  

You need to use information you find in scholarly articles when you write papers, but looking for popular articles can be useful.  Just make certain that the articles site their sources and make sense. 

The next time someone posts information that might be wrong or asks you to sign an online petition, check the facts first.  If these “facts” are true, then you should be able to find proof.

So how is research like an onion?

Both can be very useful if you know how to use them.  If you use them correctly, you can prevent disease, but if you take anything you read at face value, you can end up with a house that smells like onions.

IHE Updates, March 6

I haven't had much time to work on the blog the past few days, but here are some news briefs:

If you haven't checked the Career Services Department (CSD)'s Facebook page lately, you should know that job openings and job hunting hints are posted there often.  Today, CSD has this tidbit:

"Hey Guys, FILMED, A MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANY, is hiring, one of the directors will be meeting with IHE grads next Thursday at 3 PM at the school location. Call Debra at 201 217 1113 to register your name and to update you resume for interviews."

Log into Facebook and search for IHE CSD to find their Facebook page.

While we're on the subject of job hunting, you can find out how I found my job at IHE by reading an interview with me at http://inalj.com/?p=2146.  Here is an excerpt:

"We all know it is a difficult, daunting time to look for work. Do not despair. Try every outlet you can think of. Network whenever you can. Be so focused on finding a job that you don’t have room in your brain to consider giving up. You will get upset at times. That is okay. Get frustrated, complain privately, but keep going. Stay as positive as you can, and if you can’t muster up any enthusiasm, pretend that you can when you write cover letters, network, and have job interviews."

 Attention IHE students:  You may notice that the IHE staff members other than your instructors (but including your librarian) will be visiting your classes more.  This is because we want to make certain that you get a full education at IHE, and that means we'll be giving you workshops on topics like financial fitness, job interviews, and computer literacy.  What other topics would you like us to address in our workshops?  You can comment below or make a suggestion to any IHE staff member.