In the News: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search

Warning: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search
By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
Article on MSN Careers

  
Once it’s on the internet, it’s a free for all! According to this article, a recent study by the executive search firm ExecuNet found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants; 35 percent of these same recruiters say they’ve eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.

Not all employers search candidates and employees online, but the trend is growing. Protect your image by following these simple tips:

1. Be careful, nothing is private.
2. Be discreet; if your network offers the option, consider setting your profile to “private.”
3. Be prepared, check your profile regularly.

With the expansion of technology, the internet and social networking, everyone is a reporter.

» Read “Warning: Social Networking Can Be Hazardous to Your Job Search”
» For more information on YTI Career Institute, visit www.yti.edu

In the News: I Changed Careers

Success Stories: I Changed Careers
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer
Article on MSN Careers

 
Apparently it is not that crazy to change careers in today’s economy. People need to continue to provide for themselves and/or their family during financial hardship. If their current source of income is dwindling and the need for their position is declining in all markets, a new career move is imperative.

In this article, Zupek asked readers to share their career changing success stories which included:

• Rabbi to comedian
• Corporate to geese herding
• Catering to wedding pastor
• IT to culinary
• Carpenter to LEGO model designer
• Sales to bridal boutique
• Wall Street to cupcakes

While YTI doesn’t offer Comedy or Geese Herding, we do offer programs that meet the other needs of the local economy. For more information on YTI Career Institute, visit www.yti.edu.

Golf Course Management Discovery Day

Have you ever wondered how golf courses get their lawns so perfectly lush and green? At YTI Career Institute’s Golf Course Management Discovery Day on October 23rd, I learned one of the tricks of the trade. Bentgrass, a very fine, beautiful grass that is well suited for the northern United States is used on many local golf courses, athletic fields and high end lawns. It prefers full sun and can grow in multiple soil types – perfect for long, open fairways on expansive grounds.

Participants at YTI’s Discovery Day made their own mini putting greens using bentgrass. They layered containers with dirt, gravel and sand and used a hair pick to dimple the sand to hold the grass seeds. Within two weeks, the seeds should germinate. There were many other activities throughout the day including re-griping golf clubs, lessons, and video swing analysis.

» Check out all of the photos on our facebook fan page
» Find out more about about bentgrass
» Learn more about YTI’s Golf Course Management program

Energy Efficiency

With the change of seasons comes a shift in energy usage.  Our resources have become more expensive and with the change of our economy, we want to find ways to conserve where we can.  Now that it’s getting cold, heating is the “hot” topic.  Most homeowners can stretch their heating dollars through proper maintenance of the equipment they now have, like doing a tune up on an older vehicle to make it the best it can be.  A typical maintenance check-up should include the following:

• Check thermostat settings
• Tighten all electrical connections
• Lubricate all moving parts
• Check and inspect the condensate drain
• Check controls of the system
• Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger
• Inspect, clean, or change air filters

The best value in today’s economy is in the tax breaks on new energy efficient equipment.  Currently tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, water heaters and biomass stoves.  For more information on tax credits for energy efficiency, check out www.energystar.gov.

YTI Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology Tip:

Maintaining the filter in your HVAC system is the easiest and most overlooked maintenance item, and it has the biggest impact on efficiency.  Having a dirty filter is like covering all your heat registers with a towel- your furnace is working longer and harder to heat your home, costing you money.

Most modern HVAC systems are designed in such a way that the filter can be changed by the owner of the equipment.  Armed with a screwdriver and a wrench, you can easily maximize the efficiency of your furnace and AC unit.

 

» Check out www.energystar.gov for more information on efficient heating and cooling
» Learn more about YTI’s Trades and Technical programs

In the News: College After 50

College After 50
What experienced workers can do to retrain for new careers
By Christina Couch
Article on MSN encarta

 

There is hope!  This article touches on many options for our over 50 crowd who have been affected by the recession.  Some of the options the article talks about include:

• State and federal funds for job retraining
• Federally-funded centers provide information on what type of education they’ll need to get started in new job markets and contacts with colleges and vocational institutions in the area
• Available discounts on career retraining through tuition waivers for dislocated workers and senior citizens at both two- and four-year institutions
• Visiting career-transition programs designed specifically for workers who bring a wealth of job experience to the table
• Volunteering can also mean a break into a new profession

It is understandable for individuals over 50 to get frustrated when they lose their jobs.  They most likely have been doing the same type of work, at the same company for many years and now they may have to switch gears. And, this time they are competing against candidates from a younger generation.  

Education should always be an option, no matter what age you are.  Don’t just think of an educational institution either.  As the article pointed out, going to career centers, workshops, seminars or volunteering are great ways to further your education as well. 

“At this time the obvious front door to the business you’re interested in is probably clogged with job seekers,” she says. “There is no question that they’re hiring younger, but we’re smarter and we’re better workers. The opportunities are there for our generation, you just have to be crafty about it.”

» For more information on YTI Career Institute, visit www.yti.edu.

Culinary and Pastry Arts Discovery Day

By: Megan Failor, New Student Coordinator

The sold out Culinary and Pastry Arts Discovery Day was a hit to say the least! Four kitchens, full of eager students in complimentary chef hats and jackets worked alongside instructors and prepared a buffet style lunch for their family members.  In the Pastry kitchen, Pastry Arts Instructors shadowed their 1^st term students, while they worked alongside our guests.  Imparting their newly acquired knowledge, they brought together a dazzling array of petite desserts, perfectly garnished and exquisitely presented.

In one kitchen, chefs from YTI’s Culinary Arts/Restaurant Management program demonstrated and instructed their guests on skills such as preparing fresh mozzarella and the art of mirrored fruit and cheese displays.  In another kitchen, chefs taught guests how to correctly handle chicken, proper knife techniques and working to definitive timelines.  In kitchen 3, chefs were challenging their guests with a whole flounder and shrimp.  “What am I supposed to do with this?” asked the guests.  The chef responded, “Let’s do it together!” 

What about the parents and family members who came along for support?  They were invited to experience a workshop on Math – more specifically how we remove the “fear of math.” It was actually difficult to sell the parents on why math was nothing to be scared of, but we convinced them with a tray of gooey brownies!  Other informative workshops included information about financial aid assistance, career services and student services, with a little improvisation from Tim Foster, CEO of YTI Career Institute.

This was truly a full campus experience!  From the passion and enthusiasm of faculty and staff to parents supporting their sons and daughters and spouses encouraging their significant others, this was a Discovery Day we are all proud of!

» Check out all of the photos on our facebook fan page
» Learn more about Culinary Arts programs at YTI-Lancaster

Medical Assistant Grand Opening

What a success! The Medical Assistant Lab Grand Opening held on October 8th, 2009 at YTI Career Institute’s York campus was eventful. Many future students came to check out their new classrooms and lab areas. I heard one student say to another, “this is so nice, I can’t wait to start!” There are 2 traditional classrooms, a lab area with microscopes to check out specimen and a nice simulation lab of a triage or doctor’s office. 3rd term students from the Medical Assistant and Massage Therapy Practitioner program at the Mechanicsburg campus participated by giving blood pressure readings and free massages. There were 4 massage stations set up with massage chairs and proper sterilization procedures. Many people were in line waiting to get their stresses kneaded out. American Red Cross, LA Fitness and many people from the York County Chamber of Commerce were present. The ribbon cutting was official- there was a big red bow with long ribbons and big, big scissors! The food demonstration from Chef Peter Hess, YTI Culinary Instructor was amazing! He taught guests how to make a low fat penne pasta alfredo primavera with all the flavor- the culinary program never fails when it comes to satisfying your taste buds! The room was filled with people waiting to get a taste. And, the cake was quite creative!

» Check out all of the photos on our facebook fan page
» Learn more about the Medical Assistant program at YTI-York

Got Stress?

By Rebecca Beamer, Massage Therapy Practitioner Program Director

Who isn’t stressed anymore?  We often blame stress as a reason for being tired or not being able to sleep but do you really understand what stress does to you?  A great majority of all doctor office visits are for stress-related conditions and many adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.  Anxiety, depression, headaches, asthma, arthritis, skin conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems are just part of a long list of conditions that stress creates in our body.

Eliminating stress isn’t the answer; the problem is people don’t really understand how to de-stress.  The possibilities to de-stress every day are endless – meditation, music, exercise, guided imagery, aromatherapy, massage and relaxation techniques are a few examples.    In the Massage Therapy Practitioner program at YTI, students not only learn massage techniques to treat patients but the program also focuses on self-care techniques to stay balanced and well.  One great example of these techniques is deep breathing.

Ever notice how shallow and rapid your breathing becomes when you are under stress?  Deep breathing helps calm the body, clear the mind and uplift your spirit.  Simply close your eyes and consciously relax the muscles in your body from head to toes.  Breathe in deeply through your nose, making sure to fill the entire area of your abdomen until you feel full.  Slowly exhale through your mouth until you feel empty.  Repeat 10 times.  An additional benefit would be to have a few drops of essential lavender oil sitting close by through your breathing exercise– lavender has been proven to calm the nervous system. 

How do you feel now?

Golf Course Management students caddie in Senior Players Championship

As part of their Caddie Management class, the 1st term Golf Course Management students caddied in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship Pro-AM at the Baltimore Country Club.  This was a PGA Senior Tour Major Championship held from Monday 9/28 to Sunday 10/4.  Participants in the event included familiar names such as Ben Crenshaw, Larry Nelson, Hale Irwin, Nick Price, Tom Kite, Curtis Strange and Bernhard Langer. This was a great opportunity for our students and gave them the opportunity to see operations of a major tournament from “inside the ropes.”

Golf Course Management is a 21 month program in which you can receive an Associate in Specialized Business Degree.  In this program you can learn:

• How to teach golf – golf instruction
• How to run a tournament
• The golf course design process
• Turf management
• The business of golf – group instruction, building relationships with sales representatives & club managers

For more information or to tour the Golf Course Management lab, call (800) 227-9675 or visit our web site at www.yti.edu.

» More photos from this event on YTI’s Facebook Fan page. Check it out!

YTI-Altoona Discovery Day

By Amanda Helbig, Admissions Administrative Assistant

Everyone here at the Altoona Campus was thrilled at the success of Discovery Day, which was held Friday, September 25. The day was informative and fun for all!

After a light breakfast and some ice-breaker fun, the students were welcomed by Natalie Lombardo, Director of Admissions, and invited to explore the campus through guided tours with our Admissions Coordinators. Then, our attendees were led to their respective classes to meet instructors, participate in hands-on demonstrations and get to know some of their future classmates. All of our instructors did a wonderful job making our guests feel comfortable and excited about starting at YTI. After getting a glimpse of some classes, the attendees were given brief overviews of the many resources our staff offers to students, from Career Services to the Learning Resource Center. Finally, their day ended with cool new YTI t-shirts, a Sheetz gift card raffle and delicious pizza!

The attendees were asked to fill out a short evaluation listing their comments and thoughts, and not one comment was negative! They all rated the quality of their experiences as excellent! Here are some of those comments:

“Everyone here is friendly and outgoing. The information we received is easily understandable. I was very nervous, but right away I was made to feel comfortable.”

“I like that it is very hands-on and you can see directly how what you learn will be used in your career. Everyone is very nice and eager to help you succeed!”

“Everyone is really close and helpful, and classes are small; also, I like that there is a lot of hands-on learning.”

“I enjoyed myself—it made me decide to come here.”