Dad of Divas

One Dad's Quest to Regain Control of his Kingdom

Resources to Help Work-from-Home Parents Maintain Work-Life Balance

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Work from home

Working from home can be a great way for parents to balance career and family. However, managing both a full-time job and child care isn’t always easy. This is especially true for parents of kids with extra needs, such as those with autism. Today, Dad of Divas shares some tips and tools that can help you achieve that ever-elusive work-life balance.

 

Set Up a Career That Accommodates Parenthood

Some jobs are more child-friendly than others.

 

Optimize Your Home for Professional and Personal Purposes

Setting up a comfortable home to accommodate work and parenting is essential.

 

Invest in Technology to Make Your Business Low-Maintenance

These cutting-edge tools can make your day-to-day work life easier.

 

Find Support Where You Can

You don’t have to go it alone. Trust others to help at work and at home.

 

Working from home while raising kids allows you to maintain a career while still spending time with your little ones. However, it presents challenges. Finding your community can help. For example, if you have a child with autism, connect with other parents of autistic kids online. The above guide offers some resources to help things go a little smoother.

 

Dad of Divas is dedicated to chronicling the challenges of being a father as well as providing some food for thought to other dads. Please feel free to click on our posts and leave a reply!

Tips For Finding The Right Critical Care Job

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Finding that perfect job as a critical care doctor after finishing your training can be overwhelming and time-consuming. You want to make sure that you find a job that falls in line not only with the line of practice but also your lifestyle. You want to avoid becoming a statistic that says new physicals switch out of their jobs within the first five years in the field. It is important to know the important factors to think about when using a critical care medicine job search tool to find your next critical care job.

Salary And Benefits Matter

Do not feel bad for this being a factor in deciding if a job is a right fit for you or not. Just keep in mind that your salary varies depending on the type of market you are applying in. Big cities like San Francisco or New York, you can expect your salaries to not be that big. Make sure that whatever you do, compare the salaries across different regions along with the cost of living. Those two things in mind will help you decide if you can sustainably live a happy life in that job.

Location, Location, Location

A lot of people base their job options based off of where they want to live. You could base it off of where your family lives or where your partner lives. If you are someone who does not have any family ties, you can pick wherever you want to go. For that reason, paying special attention to the location of a job may not be as important. Make sure that you take into account all things, including the location as some places are just boring to live in no matter how much money you could be making.

Work Environment

This is another thing that is commonly overlooked. Company culture is imperative to make sure you are a great fit. You do not want to find out after two weeks on the job that the company culture does not match your personality. You also do not want to just clock in somewhere to collect a check. That is why a positive work environment is crucial. Know what kind of work environment you want to work in. Is that a hospital, clinic or urgent care? All of these things are good to keep in mind while searching for your first job out of your training.

Intangibles

There are some things about a company that you just cannot explain, but you know it when you see it. What are those intangible things that make you get out of bed in the morning? What are those things that get you excited or motivated to push through when things get difficult? Getting the answers to those questions are crucial so you know what you are looking for. As a great rule of thumb, start looking for a job at least 12 to 18 months out of completing your training. This ensures that you are taking all the time you need to find the perfect fit.

Could Nursing Be the Right Career for You – Statistics Show More Men than Ever Before Entering Field

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It’s no secret that the field of nursing has predominantly been one that is occupied by females. There has long since been a stigma tied to males wishing to enter the field of nursing, and that stigma has unfortunately affected the numbers greatly. Combine the stigma with a gender pay gap, stereotypes, and just a lack of male mentors in the field and it just hasn’t been a very balanced career to pursue.

And while history certainly can’t be erased, nor can stereotypes overnight, the good news is that the field is changing and statistics look promising with more males than ever entering into the field. In fact, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of last year, men make up 12% of the registered nurses in the country. Sure, it’s still very imbalanced, but it is an improvement, and it’s heading in the right direction.

So, as the stigma starts to fade and more males are entering into the field of nursing, could this be the right time for you to consider it as a career? What does nursing have to offer you as a male? Can it be not just a great job right now but provide a successful future for you, allowing you to work in the field until retirement? Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of being a male in the nursing field today.

Be an Active Part of Change

One of the most rewarding things for men entering the field of nursing is knowing they are an active part of change. Simply by them pursuing their dream and following their heart, they are in fact blazing the trail for others that follow. They are helping to erase the stigma and stereotypes and create a more balanced field.

Making a Positive Impact in People’s Lives

Then there is the other feel-good aspect of becoming a nurse, and that’s the fact you’ll be making a positive impact in people’s lives each and every shift you work. That alone can be extremely powerful and rewarding, and can definitely convince you to stick with the career the rest of your working years.

There is a Real Demand for Male Nurses

It’s also nice to be part of an industry where you are in demand, where you can actually find work and put your skills to use. There is the very simple fact that it helps both sexes of patients feel better represented and understood, which is helping to drive this demand. Let’s face it, whether it’s right or not, some male patients prefer to have sensitive procedures or exams done by someone of the same sex. Having that male nurse on duty can certainly prove to be useful.

Nursing in general is a field that is going through a period of job growth right now, whether you are male or not. In fact, the BLS has predicted it will grow by 12% by 2028, which is much faster than the average job growth across the country.

Enjoy a Healthy Compensation

As for salary, registered nurses have a median pay of $73,300 per year as of 2019. Of course, you can always make more than that depending on where you work and how far you take your education.

There Is a Sense of Career Stability

Because nurses are so in demand across the entire country, there is also a sense of career stability. You have the peace of mind in knowing your job won’t be obsolete within the next decade. It also gives you the flexibility to move around the country, and even to other countries if you choose, and still work within your field.

Choose Your Employer

Often, when you think about nurses, you think of a hospital environment. While it’s true you will find nurses working at a hospital, that isn’t the only option. Other work environments include nursing care facilities, physicians’ offices, clinics, schools, and home healthcare services. In other words, you’ve got a lot of options laid out before you.

Choose Your Hours

Perhaps you’re not looking for a full-time career, maybe you want something part-time for the time being so you can spend the rest of the time as a stay-at-home dad. Again, nursing can be the perfect solution. Not only can you work part-time, but there is also shift work, which can make it a bit easier to juggle childcare if both adults in the home are working. You can choose to work a night shift while your significant other is working a day shift.

There is Always Something New to Learn

If you’re afraid of picking a job that feels stagnant and has you feeling trapped, the healthcare industry couldn’t be more opposite. There is always new research, techniques, practices, medications, diagnosis, and so forth to learn about and put to use. There is no such thing as knowing it all; you will be learning on the job the rest of your working years.

There’s No Need to Stop at a Registered Nurse

While becoming a registered nurse may be your first step in your healthcare-focused career, it certainly doesn’t have to be the last step in the plan. For example, you may want to explore one of the popular online DNP programs, which is a Doctor of Nursing Practice meant for registered nurses with an MSN or BSN that want to advance to the next level. As a graduate of this program, you can take on a leadership role and pursue such career paths as a family nurse practitioner, an executive nurse, a neonatal nurse practitioner, a nurse-midwife, or even a pediatric nurse practitioner.

In other words, the position of a registered nurse can simply be a stepping stone that advances you to your next job in the field.

Nursing Offers a Very Healthy Outlook for Males

So, if you’re a male who likes the idea of entering into nursing but isn’t exactly sure if you could be successful, all signs point to it being a very good path to follow.

 

What Is a Pharmacy Technician? A Complete Career Information Guide

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Do pharmacy technicians make a lot of money? Is it a tough job? What certifications are needed? Here’s your complete guide to what is a pharmacy technician.

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You have an interest in medicine. You know you want a career that helps others, and you know you want a job with good employment availability.

Could a career in pharmacy be for you?

It sure could be. If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering, “What is a pharmacy technician?” you’ll want to know some key factors. If a career in pharmacy interests you, check out the information guide below.

What is a Pharmacy Technician?

A pharmacy technician assists a licensed pharmacist in filling prescription medications. They measure out the prescriptions and provide correct packaging and labeling.

What Makes Pharmacy Tech a Good Career Choice?

There are several reasons to consider becoming a pharmacy technician.

Stable Career

There are ample opportunities and increasing demand in the job market. The aging population and increase in certain diseases ensure there will always be a need for pharmacy technicians. New medications and treatment programs are always developing. With every advancement, there is more need for technicians.

Most occupations have a growth rate of about 7% every ten years. When it comes to pharmacy technicians, the growth rate doubles. Over the next ten years, there will be more than 14% more opportunities as a pharmacy technician.

There is also an abundance of openings across the nation. Therefore, if you are thinking of relocating, chances are you’ll be able to find a job no matter where you move.

Minimal Education

If you’re going through a career change later in life, you can get your education in as quickly as four months. It’s also a quick road to a job if you’re an ambitious college student.

Typically, you only need a high school diploma with on-the-job training. But, most places look to hire someone with formal education. You can get that education through a vocational school or community college.

Well-Paid Job

As a pharmacy technician, you can get paid up to $25 an hour. Though, how much you’ll make exactly depends on your expertise, experience, and education. Where you live and any certifications also come into play.

Job Responsibilities:

Pharmacy technicians fall directly under a pharmacist. They assist the pharmacist in dispensing medications to both individuals and professionals.

However, they also have a list of other duties they may need to follow:

  • Measure the amount of medication
  • Mix or compound some medicines
  • Call doctors for refill authorization
  • Prepare intravenous medication
  • Package and label prescriptions
  • Collect patient information and payment
  • Process insurance claims
  • Take inventory and note supply shortages

Depending on where you may work as a pharmacy technician, you may also need to:

  • Run registers
  • Provide customer service
  • Field customer calls
  • Locate over-the-counter medicine

Skills And Competencies

As with any good career, you’ll need to refine certain work skills in pharmaceutical work. Pharmacy tech school can help craft many of these skills to better prepare you.

Consider your own personal qualities. Do they fit into this list?

  • Active Listening: Technicians need to understand doctors’ orders as well as customers’ requests.
  • Speaking: They need to convey information to pharmacists. They also need to communicate effectively with doctors and customers
  • Attention to detail: Pharmacy technicians need to pay careful attention to details. Mistakes when filling prescriptions or preparing labels can be deadly.
  • Highly organized: Great organization skills help avoid costly and dangerous mistakes.
  • Reading comprehension: Technicians need to understand a large amount of written documentation.

Where Can I Work As a Pharmacy Technician?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 52% of pharmacy technicians work in pharmacies or drug stores. This means most technicians are in retail or grocery stores.

However, there are also opportunities in a variety of other places. Hospitals and other health care facilities employ pharmacy technicians. With the proper education, you could also work within pharmaceutical production or sales.

A few other places technicians can work are:

  • Prisons
  • Primary care organizations
  • Education and training
  • Military
  • Veterinary pharmacy
  • Pharmacy organizations
  • Nursing homes
  • Assisted living centers
  • Mental health institutions
  • Mail-order pharmacies

What Other Jobs Can a Technician Do?

As a pharmacy technician, you can choose to work on a career path that suits you. You can climb the ladder internally, becoming a full-blown technician. Or, you could pursue something a little different.

You could find yourself working at a pharmaceutical company, research lab, the sales force, or more.

How Do I Get a Job as a Pharmacy Technician?

Before you apply to a job opening, clean up your resume and highlight the skills mentioned above. Look for openings online on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s career center. You might also find some listings on general job-search boards.

Volunteer

You might find a volunteer opportunity that will give you experience an employer wants. Look for these opportunities with local pharmacies. If you’re earning a certification, ask around within your program or school.

Internship

Another way to break into your new career is to shadow an experienced technician. This is another great way to get those skills polished for a new full-time career.

Here are some tips to land an internship:

  • Talk with someone you know in the industry for professional insight.
  • Ask your technician program or school about any open opportunities
  • Research internships early on.
  • Update your resume.
  • Make a list of places you’d like to work at. Apply to these places. Remember, there are a variety of places you could work. An internship at a hospital will give you a different outlook than one at a retail shop.

Now What?

Now you know what is a pharmacy technician, it’s time to take your first steps. Take a look at your own resume and find what’s missing. Do some research on local pharmacy programs or online certifications.

Before you know it, you’ll find yourself landing your new, fulfilling career. Check out our blog for more advice on careers and everything else that makes you tick.

 

 

10 Reasons Why Becoming a Nurse is an Ideal Career Path for Dads

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Traditionally, the nursing sector has been overwhelmingly populated by females, as even in today’s world of equal opportunity employment, more than 90% of nurses are women. Although only about 9% of nurses are males, that doesn’t mean that there’s anything that disqualifies a dad from becoming a nurse. In fact, any man who is willing to go against the societal stereotype could easily become a highly favorable candidate because hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities are always looking to hire male nurses in an industry-wide effort to level the undeniable gender inequality that clearly still exists within the profession by any statistical measure. With that said, here are ten reasons why becoming a nurse is actually a great career path for dads:

1. The Ability to Study Online in Your Spare Time

The very phrase “spare time” brings joy to dads who have their hands full between their family and work lives. The idea of working on your education amidst all of that can seem impossible, but online nursing degree programs can be completed from anywhere and at your own pace. You can take the slow approach and work on it 1-3 hours per day, or put in long hours on the weekend to accelerate towards graduation. Plus, once you’ve earned a degree, you can continue to advance your career into other areas of expertise to make yourself eligible for higher-paying nursing jobs. For example, you could work towards becoming a family nurse practitioner to earn a salary of $100k-$150k+ by completing RN to NP programs online.

2. Additional Parenting Skills

Some of the skills and techniques that you’ll learn on your way to becoming a nurse could also come in handy in your role as a dad, as many of the same methodologies that apply to patient care also applying to parenting. All kids face mishaps and injuries from time to time, so having a nurse in the home can always be a benefit for the wellbeing of the family. There aren’t that many jobs that directly improve your parenting skills, but nursing is one of them.

3. Knowledge of First Aid Application

Of course, one of the reasons why nurses are such great parents is because they know how to apply all of the components of a first aid kit. Obviously, such a skill could come in handy during an emergency and in rare scenarios could even mean the difference between life or death; all healthcare professionals are required to learn CPR – a resuscitative technique that can save lives in the event of a near-drowning incident, car accident, or other form of trauma. Likewise, you’ll know the Heimlich maneuver well enough to reliably prevent children from choking, and the list goes on.

4. Stable and Steady Employment

Being able to provide a financially stable and comfortable lifestyle for your children is always going to be one of your top duties as a dad. Becoming a nurse puts you in an ideal position to do that because you’ll never have to worry about finding a job due to the incredibly low unemployment rate in the industry – approximately 98% of qualified nurses are employed.

5. Appealing Salaries

Nursing salaries are typically quite desirable when you consider the relative lack of challenging physical labor involved. As a standard registered nurse (RN), you could start out making anywhere from $47k-$90k, and as you gain experience or advance into other specialties like FNP, that figure can increase to $150k+.

6. The Option to Relocate

The ability to travel and move to other parts of the country or world is always a great advantage for a dad to have because it lets you give your kids a cultured and interesting upbringing. Even if you don’t opt for the nomad-friendly field of travel nursing, you can almost always relocate as any kind of nurse and have a very good chance of finding gainful employment in your new home town.

7. Plenty of Room for Income Improvement

Many careers have very straightforward salary limits and a small amount of job positions that can be pursued after graduation. Nursing, on the other hand, does not have such rigid limitations because there are so many fields that you can expand your skill set into, each with increasingly higher salaries. At the top of the ladder, you’ll find high-paying nursing jobs like Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) which pays up to $240k+ per year.

8. Helping to Alleviate the Nursing Shortage

The healthcare industry not only has a shortage of male nurses, it’s facing a widespread shortage of nurses in general. Thus, dads who become nurses have the chance to help correct the profession’s gender inequality and fill the overall gap that is being left by waves of retiring baby boomers who are leaving thousands of nursing positions open every year.

9. Optimal Job Benefits

Of course, whenever you work for a healthcare facility, you’re going to have access to top-notch benefits like various forms of insurance, vacation days, rewards card programs, and desirable overtime pay rates. Nurses who work for hospitals and clinics often report having better benefits than the perks offered by their previous jobs in other industries.

10. Building Experience in the Medical Field

Finally, pursuing any kind of training or certification in the medical profession is always a wise career path to take because it qualifies you as an eligible job candidate wherever healthcare services are provided. In general, the industry as a whole has one of the lowest industry-wide unemployment rates, so whether you decide to stay a nurse or eventually become a physician, you should always have a great job waiting on you.

A Relatively Quick Educational Path

As an extra consideration in closing, when you compare the 2-year path to graduation that an entry level nursing degree program provides, it becomes a much more appealing option than many other fields that can require anywhere form 4-8 years of education before you can get your first real pay check.

Guiding Your Child onto the Right Career Path

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Guiding Your Child onto the Right Career Path

As a parent, you invest a considerable amount of time into your children’s education in the hopes that they’ll enter a rewarding and financially secure career. Unfortunately, kids have to choose what they want to do with their lives at a time when they’re going through some seismic personal changes that can make even the most stable child irrational.

If you’re lucky, your son or daughter will have known since they could walk that they wanted to be a doctor, paleontologist, or submariner, and they have a clear career path ahead of them. Not all parents are so fortunate, though, so how do you help your child find the right career path when it’s not all clear cut? You have two main options:

Watchful waiting

You could adopt a kind of laissez-faire attitude and just let them work it out on their own. That doesn’t mean abdicating responsibility, but for some families avoiding constant conflict or nagging is the option that works best. You’re still there when your kids need you, offering advice and providing information, counseling them and giving them your thoughts; however, you don’t try and push them into making decisions before they’re ready or force them to follow the path you think is best for them.

Taking the lead

Alternatively, you could adopt a more proactive stance by making suggestions and recommendations, organizing attendance at college open days, and supporting any positive activities that could help your child make a decision about their future. You probably have a good grasp of the kinds of things that interest them and what they’re good at, and you may have some great ideas about how they can turn their talents and interests into a career. With this knowledge, you may be able to direct them towards opportunities they were unaware of or hadn’t considered.

In both of the above scenarios, you as the parent are supporting your child without putting them under undue pressure on the one hand, or leaving them entirely to their own devices on the other. If they’re stuck because they can’t find a course that fits with what they want to do, help them look for other opportunities such as completing a degree online or studying abroad.

You can also suggest alternative routes to a rewarding career, for example, if your child is interested in architecture and design, they might be considering taking a higher qualification in the subject. Courses such as the IPAL (Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure) combine everything your child needs to qualify for professional architectural licensure into a single, accredited program, including the Master of Architecture degree, Architectural Experience Program (AXP) hours, and the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). This might sound like a much better way of achieving their goals and will give them a real confidence boost.

Kids are like snowflakes – every one of them is different, and they respond to different forms of motivation. Some are better left alone, some need a bit of pushing, but there are many different approaches to achieving career success, and with the right kind of help from you, your child will find theirs.

The Importance of Teaching Your Kids Job Skills

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The Importance of Teaching Your Kids Job Skills

When your teen hits working age, it’s time to consider the idea of a summer job. Seasonal jobs may help instill teens with responsibility and give them more independence as they earn their own money as well as teaching them job skills. While summer jobs or even occasional gigs during the school year increase a teen’s feeling of independence, they also may give teens a little insight of the realities of the corporate workforce.

 

Depending on what type of job your teen hopes to secure after college, a job or even an internship may help introduce them to the world of their future. At the same time, they can gain some valuable work experience and decide if this is the path for them. No, a teen cannot be a lawyer yet. However, they may be able to work as a receptionist at a small-town firm. No matter what job your teen secures, though, make sure their online presence represents them well and doesn’t include inappropriate photos. Yes, employers check social media sites.

 

Job skills go beyond typing and hands-on expertise, though. Job skills include the subtle nuances that are necessary to thrive and survive in the workforce. Here are seven ways even those small summer jobs can instill a work ethic and teach job skills:

The Importance of Teaching Your Kids Job Skills

1.     Grace under pressure.

Where’s my order! Working in fast-food or as a server at a restaurant will have your teen face-to-face with the general public. The customer is always right, and dealing with tough customers teaches teens how to navigate stressful situations and problem solve.

2.     Time management.

You can’t be late to work, unless you want to be written up … or fired. Teens learn that their bosses expect them on-time and ready to work. No hitting snooze 10 times! The real world doesn’t care if you stayed up late to binge watch a Netflix show!

3.     Be a team player.

Almost every job requires employees to be part of a team. Teens have to learn to get along with co-workers and being part of a team helps them understand that you have to coexist with many different personality types.

4.     Money matters.

Teens will earn their own money, and parents need to help them understand how to manage it. Should part of each check go towards savings? Or can your teen spend it all? Go over the paystub and discuss how much was taken out because of taxes and help your teen learn the meaning of their financial bottom line.

5.     Learn from mistakes.

One of the best experiences teens learn from holding a job is how to bounce back from mistakes. Everyone will screw up sometimes, but how you handle that mistake makes a difference.

6.     Authority figures.

Teens already know that their teacher is the boss of the classroom. But suddenly they will be thrust into an environment filled with managers, assistant managers or even supervisors. Learning the chain of command early may help teens recognize how the corporate world will work later.

7.     Attitude is everything.

No one wants to work with the negative co-worker. Early work experiences may help teens learn how to manage their emotions, and how their behavior and attitude effects the atmosphere.

Holding a summer or seasonal job is a great way to help teens gain valuable work experience that will help them later in life. Learning to work with the public, handle pressure and deal with multiple levels of management all will serve teens well when they enter the workforce as young professionals. While parents can teach some skills, hands-on experience is the best teacher to help teens gain insight into the realities of the real world.

 


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