Category Archives: Job Seeking

Gear Up for Holiday Employment! Visit Your Career Management Department

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It’s holiday season and Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology’s Career Management Department is ready to help students find part-time employment!

Students who need help finding a position for a little extra cash this season can contact or visit the Career Management Director at their campus. Career Management Directors have current seasonal job leads in the local campus area and will be holding workshops to develop resumes and cover letters for seasonal positions.

To contact your Career Management Director, click here!

 
For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

PIHT Prepares you for a Career – Just Ask Susan Tandy Wilson!

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Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology in Uniontown, PA is training students to begin careers that they love! Here’s a quick highlight of a recent graduate who has started a career she loves thanks to her training from PIHT:

Susan Tandy Wilson is a Medical Office Administration graduate from Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology and has landed her career as a Medical Office Administrator at Martinelli Eye and Laser Center in Uniontown, PA!

Susan said, “PIHT and their staff provided me with the proper training and classes to prepare me for a career in Medical Office Administration.” Susan mentioned that Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Billing & Coding, Human Resources and Career Preparation were a few courses that really helped her obtain the skills she needed for her ideal career.

“I would like to thank all the instructors at PIHT because if it was not for each and every one of them being there for me and teaching me, I would not be where I am today,” said Susan.

“Most importantly, they believed in me!”

Susan’s advice for a student beginning to search for their career is to keep up the hard work and do not get discouraged. She says, “Sometimes the places you apply might not be hiring at the time, but they will keep you in mind when they are!”

The best advice from Susan: “Believe in yourself, you can do it!”


For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

It’s My Last Quarter! Bobbi Keller Student Highlight

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Bobbi Lynn Keller has just started the last module of her enrollment at Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology in the Medical Office Administration Program.

Bobbi felt welcomed when she toured the campus and knew the location of PIHT was perfect because it was close to home. She also, explained, “Although the school was small, it felt big and new. Everyone was working hands-on and they really took the time to make sure the campus was a good fit for me. It definitely was!”

Bobbi said that PIHT opened her eyes to a better future for not only herself, but her family, too. “I feel confident that I will succeed in my career because my instructors believed in me and helped me through my courses,” she said.

Bobbi had a great experience at PIHT. She said, “I enjoyed the people and the time frame of the enrollment…you only have to be in school for 18 months compared to four years and the daily schedule of classes is only Monday – Thursday. Classes only run from 8am to 2:30pm which frees your evenings for work or spending quality time with your family. They also have functions and give you many great opportunities to bond with your PIHT family.”

Bobbi’s advice for future students is to never give up! She advised, “Ask questions…there are no stupid questions. Be yourself and make new friends because your PIHT family will always be there for you. That’s why they are such a great place to get your education. Even after you graduate, you can come back five years later and PIHT will still be there to support you!”


For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

The Devil Wears Prada… You Don’t Have To

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Expanding a professional wardrobe isn’t easy. When you’ve been in school for a long time, it is easy to get away with throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in the morning and running out the door. When you enter the real world, it takes time to choose a professional outfit and it will take some time to build the wardrobe that you’ll be wearing to work. Here are a few tips as you begin this journey:

1. Start Early

You already made the decision to go back to school. Your reasoning behind this decision probably had something to do with wanting to start a professional career when you graduate. This means you already know that you’ll be interviewing when you complete your program, so even if you are in the medical field and might wear scrubs every day, you will still need professional clothes for interviews. 

Start thinking about this early! The earlier you start getting professional pieces together, the easier it will be when you graduate. Even if you can only afford one part of a suit at a time, start setting the pieces aside so you are ready when the first interviewer calls you for an appointment.

Another option is to start setting aside a certain amount of money from each paycheck you might receive. Even if you set aside $20 a check, these numbers will add up when you’ve done it for 18 months or the length of time you were in school. Then, as a nice graduation gift to yourself, you can go out and buy a new suit or professional outfit.

2. Budget!

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to look professional. Select stores that fit your budget, your body style and your age. Whether you can afford to head to Macy’s or Ann Taylor, Gap, JCPenney or Gabe’s, it doesn’t matter…the only thing that matters is that you are wearing professional wear that fits you and your generation.  The key is that you want to promote a professional first image of yourself that employers will remember.

3. Age and Body Type Count

Shop at stores that carry clothing appropriate for your age and body type. Take the time to find stores that are right for you at this point in your life and use it to your advantage! Shop around to find stores that carry the kind of clothing you want without breaking your bank. This also means that you need to make sure clothing is not too tight, the “Two C’s” are covered (cleavage and crack – hahaha) and that lengths are appropriate for your sleeves, skirt or pants.

Take a moment to consider where you should start shopping and the types of professional clothing you want to buy. Follow these easy tips to begin gathering your budget-friendly wardrobe today! If you need some help starting in the right direction, you can always visit the Career Management Director at your campus for ideas, advice and extra tips.


For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

PIHT Hosts Job Search Fridays Excellent Resource for Upcoming Graduates and PIHT Alumni

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Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology is opening its doors each Friday starting Friday, February 10th for Job Search Fridays! The event starts at 11am and lasts until 1 p.m. at the PIHT Campus in Mt. Braddock, PA.

Career Management Director, Michelle Sinal, will be on-site with computers available to assist upcoming graduates and alumni with professional documents including resumes, cover letters and thank you letters, applications, interviewing techniques, interview practice and job search methods.

Looking for your first career? Want to explore new career options? PIHT is here to help! You can contact Michelle Sinal directly by the contact information below for more information or feel free to visit the website or Facebook page!

Career Management Director – Michelle Sinal
Pennsylvania Institute of Health and Technology
724.437.4600
MSinal@piht.edu

For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

A New Career and Your Finances

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Landing your first career is such an outstanding achievement. Many times, individuals begin making money after they have been out of the workforce for a long period of time, so it is important to make sure you manage your finances completely and carefully!

Don’t Be Frivolous
Making money comes with responsibility. If you went into debt during school or have credit car bills, utility bills, house or rent payments, etc. make sure you make these a priority with your new income. It’s always fun to buy great new things, but the most important thing you can do is manage your money carefully and save for those ‘splurge’ purchases.

Create a Budget and Follow It
You should most definitely take the time to sit-down, look at your income and compare it to your expenses and your debt. There are several free resources on the internet that can help you build and manage your budget, so use them! We like this one: http://www.budgetworksheets.org/

Save What You Can
After you have created your budget and you know how much to allow for expenses and debt with each paycheck, start a savings account to save additional money. You never know when an emergency will arise and you’ll need that extra cash!

Utilize Your Resources
If you come into a situation where you have lost your source of income or you are struggling, always contact your Financial Aid Director at the campus where you attended school. They can help get you on the right track and can help make sure you don’t get behind in your loan repayments from your school loans. This is very important! You never want to ruin your credit when you could have had help!

Also, graduates of PIHT always have access to our Career Management Assistance. The Career Management Director at a campus near you can assist you with updating your resume, filling out applications and they can even help you mail or fax your information to job leads. It’s up to you, though – you have to take the first step to call your campus and schedule an appointment!

For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

Now That you’ve Graduated – Professional Steps for your Contact Information

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Now that you have completed your program and graduated in a professional field of study, take a few minutes to make sure your contact information is updated from a ‘student’ to a ‘professional’. Here are a couple of ideas for contact information you need to update when you finish school.

Your Email
While you were enrolled in school, you probably had an email address that ended with your school’s name or initials and had an edu on the end. Make sure you have taken the time to create a new email address that is professional and includes your name in some way. A great rule of thumb for creating an email address: If you can write your email address down on a piece of paper without your name written on it and they can guess that it is yours – you should be good to go. Limit numbers end excess underlines or characters and make it as professional as possible.

Make an effort to check your email regularly. If you are applying for positions online, maybe companies may make a first attempt to contact you by sending an extended application or request for an interview via email. You certainly don’t want to miss out on a great career opportunity by not keeping up with popular forms of communication.

Your Voicemail
You may have been able to get away with a funny voicemail or one that isn’t 100% professional so far, but now is the time to change that. If you can’t make it to your phone and an employer leaves you a voicemail, this is essentially their first impression of you. Make sure you clearly state your name and use correct grammar. Do not include any songs, slang or profanity.  Also, make sure you regularly check your voicemail. You never know who called while you were away!

Your Address
Are you moving now that you have graduated college? Or, do you live in a lengthy address or have a PO Box address? It is perfectly acceptable on a resume in today’s job searching trends to list only a city and state, separated by a comma, on your resume. An employer does not need to know the exact location of your residence, so it is fine to only list the minimum.

All of this contact information should be updated on your resume to make sure you are putting forth your best professional image to potential employers as you search for your perfect career!

For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.

Sweet Dreams before your Interview… But first, make sure you’re ready!

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You finally landed an interview! It turns out that all of the job searching and preparation has finally paid off. Hopefully, you are taking the time to have a little rest and relaxation the night before to calm your nerves…But first, make sure you are prepared for the next day! Here is an easy checklist of things to remember to do BEFORE the day of an interview.

1. Research the Company
You MUST have an understanding of the company you are going to interview with. You should look for key points including the kinds of clients they work with, their work environment, office locations, plans for improvement and any other information you can gather.
• Look at the company website
• Find the company on Social Networking sites
• Ask your professional network
• Talk to your Career Services Department at your school

It is always a good idea to let your family, friends and professional network of individuals know where you are interviewing. You never know when someone might have previously worked for the employer, knows someone else who works there, can offer some helpful advice or can recommend you.

2. Know the Job Description & Job Responsibilities
Take the time to re-read the job description so you know the needs of the company. You should always make sure you mention that you hold the skills they need in the ideal candidate in both your resume and cover letter. In addition to having it in writing, make sure you can relate the responsibilities of the job into real-life experiences that you have in your experience at previous positions or externships.
• Always focus on what good you can do for the company
• Show employers that you have the skills they are seeking in the ideal candidate
• Sell yourself! Explain how your experiences have prepared you for this job
Employers use a Job Description when posting a job to tell exactly what they are looking for. Make sure you show them that YOU are exactly what they are looking for by knowing the description and responsibilities of the job and by being able to show that you are capable of handling it.

3. Prepare your clothing and items to take with you
First impressions are extremely important. They can make or break you in an interview. Make sure you have prepared everything for both your physical appearance and your professional appearance.
• Prepare your outfit beforehand so you can ensure everything fits correctly
• Have at least 3 copies of your resume ON RESUME PAPER to distribute to interviewers
• Bring a list of your professional references
• Bring a pen and paper to take notes
• Bring forms of identification
LEAVE THESE ITEMS AT HOME OR IN THE CAR!
• Cell phone
• Ipod
• Drink
• Gum
• Children
Being prepared the night before will make your morning before an interview much less stressful. There is nothing worse than putting on an outfit the morning of an interview and realizing it no longer fits or that the cat jumped and snagged your sweater. Preparing the outfit and documents you need to take with you beforehand can drastically reduce stress which will calm your nerves and give you more confidence when heading into the interview.

4. Know the Way
Do you know where you are going? Make sure you take the time to double-check the address of the facility where you are interviewing and plan the best route to get there.
• Mapquest directions if you need to
• Take a test-drive if you are unfamiliar with the location.
• Make sure you know the best route and keep an eye out for construction or places that could get congested with traffic.

The day of the interview, make sure you leave in plenty of time to avoid any traffic problems on your way. Dealing with the risk of being late increases stress before an interview and can cause you to be flustered and seem uneasy when you begin the interviewing process. Always avoid this by taking a test-drive the night before and checking the traffic report before you head out.

5. Relax
Once you are fully prepared for the interview, take the time to relax. Calm your nerves and gain the confidence you need before walking into the interview. You have taken all the right steps in finding the perfect career…Now, let it happen!

For more information on graduation rates, median debt of students who have completed their programs, and other important information, please visit our website at www.piht.edu/programs.