Ask the Jobs Expert

Mary White, M.A., SPHR, is an experienced training professional and human resources consultant. She is the co-founder of Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions, and has extensive experience in career education, corporate training, professional development, certification preparation, and HR consulting. Mary has has been helping individuals at all levels of their careers get the skills they need to reach their goals since 1994.

Instructions

Do you have a question for the LoveTo Know Jobs Expert? Leave it in the Comment Box at the bottom of this page, and click the Save button. Don't forget to check the Recent Ask the Jobs Expert Questions for your answer within in 24-48 hours.

Recent Ask the Jobs Expert Questions

Dear Mary I am looking for job openings in Presque Isle,Maine-04769.How do I check on the web site for any openings at all around the area. I just moved to Presque Isle with my husband. Thank you.

Sincerely, Diana --

Expert Reply

Diana - LoveToKnow Jobs is a general information jobs website. We don't advertise jobs in particular areas. The best way to start looking for job openings in your area is to check with local employment agencies, look in your local classified advertisements, and check Job Search Web Sites using a geographic search criterion.

It's also a good idea to find out who the major employers are (which you can generally find out from your local chamber of commerce), and check the websites of those organizations for job postings. If you work in a particular field, it's also a good idea to look for a local professional organization for people in your profession. You can make excellent contacts that can lead to employment opportunities by attending these types of meetings.

Best of luck on your job search.

~~Mary

Dear Mary,

I am an RN with more than 25 years of experience with an excellent employment history...until recently. I was terminated from a job that I had just started because I missed 9 weeks of work due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. I am totally devastated! Is there life after experiencing such an event? How does one get past this or handle questions related to this occurrence during interviews? Basically, I am a skilled nurse and educator and would love to teach high school. Any suggestions?

~~Deb

Expert Reply

Dear Deb,

It sounds like you have certainly had a stressful experience. The best policy for handling this situation in interviews is to be truthful. However, keep in mind that employers can't ask questions about your health, other that inquiring if there are any reasons that you can't perform the essential functions of the job you are applying for. It's up to you how much you want to share, as long as you are honest about whether or not you can handle the job. Employers may ask you to explain the gap in your employment history. It's find to explain that you were in an accident that prohibited you from working for a little while, but stress that you are completely recovered and ready to go back to work full time.

If you are still experiencing medical problems and you are not able to go back to the same type of work you did before, you may want to check with your state's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation services. They help people who have become unable to continue in their current field to transition to a new one. If you're interested in teaching, you should check with your state's Department of Education to find out what you need to do to earn your teaching certificate.

Best of luck returning to work.

~~Mary

Dear Mary

I am a Medical Assistant/Phlebotomist in South Carolina seeking a phlebotomy travel position. I have no idea where to begin looking. Please help!

~~Niko

Expert Reply

Dear Niko,

The best way to find out about travel jobs in your field is to register with one or moreEmployment Agencies for Medical Positions. Click this link to view the recent LoveToKnow Jobs article on this topic. You'll find several agencies you may want to apply with.

Best of luck with your career search.

~~Mary

Dear Mary –

My name is Rumyana Ivanova and I am from Bulgaria. I graduated from university in 2000 - Master of Arts in lifes cience and I have been working as a biologist in a clinical laboratory since then. I would like to know how to get a job in Kenya connected with my skills. I would like to work with animals or to help them. Please, help me to find such a job.

~~Rumyana

Expert Reply

Dear Rumyana,

Thank you for visiting LoveToKnow jobs. It certainly sounds like you have an interesting background. Our site is designed to be an informational resource for job seekers. We are not an employment agency, and do not provide job search services. For general information of finding work in Kenya, see our Jobs in Kenya article. You'll find ideas about what's involved in going to work in the country, as well as links to employers who are actively recruiting workers. You'll also want to visit the [Kenya High Commission] website, where you can learn the details about getting a work permit for employment in the country.

Best of luck with your job search.

~~Mary

Dear Mary,

Good morning. I'm an electrical technician. I have a big and nice background in oil and gas plant, energy sector with a previous experience with qatargas. I'm looking for a new position in Africa (international) or Europe. Need some help if possible. Have a nice day.

~~ Regards, Mohamed

Expert Reply

Dear Mohamed,

With your background and skills, I imagine there will be plenty of employers who are interested in you. The first thing you need to do is pinpoint a few areas in Africa or Europe where you'd like to live. You'll need to investigate the process of getting clearance to live and work in those countries. That information can help you further narrow your search to regions where you're likely to find employment and get the clearance needed to go to work in the area.

Once you've settled on a few specific areas where you'd like to live, contact employment services and search relevant Job Search Engines for openings that match your qualifications in the proper areas. If you're interested in working in the oil and gas industry again, check out the http://www.infooil.com/jobs/r1/africa.jobs.aspx Info Oil] website. You'll find information about a wide variety of international job openings in the field.

I wish you the best of luck in your job search.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary, I am in Kenya. I was employed as a Telephone operator and promoted subsequently to Telephone supervisor before doing Diploma in Business Administration which enabled me to be redesignated to Administrative assistant. It's three years since I finished A higher Diploma in Human resources management course. What career job can I be advised to pursue and which industry? And can I be helped get a suitable job? I have not been able to get one.

~~ THANKS, Joseph

Expert Reply

Dear Joseph –

The great thing about working in HR is that there are employment opportunities in every career field. Every large company has human resources employees. Even small businesses that don't have people who specialize in HR have employees who take care of the basic HR functions. Think about the types of businesses you'd like to work for and be proactive in reaching out. Contact the HR departments of various employers and ask if there are any openings. Submit your resume and application to the ones that seem interested.

Finding a job requires constant research for open positions for which you are qualified. I ran a Google search for "human resources Kenya" and found several open jobs posted on the Best Jobs Kenya website. You may also want to search and register with Casual Jobs Kenya. Job availability is going to change frequently, so you need to look for open positions quite often. You may also want to register with an employment agency based in Kenya, such as Silver Ray Limited.

Best of luck in your job search.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

My husband has studied Human Resource here in South Africa at the Unisa. I was wanting to know how we go about applying for a job in New Zealand? He has been in the industrie for 5yrs now and has really done very well in S.A. We are now wanting a change and we have decide to immagrate to New Zealand. Can you please point us in the right direction?

~~Regards, Mercades

Expert Reply

Dear Mercades,

Every country has its own, very specific, requirements for foreign nationals who wish to relocate and work there. No matter where you're thinking about moving for work, the first thing you need to do is research the country's immigration requirements directly with the government agency responsible for granting permission to work in the country. The best resource for finding out everything you need to know about relocating to New Zealand is the Immigration New Zealand website. You'll find information and details about how to proceed when you visit the site. Best of luck with your job search.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

I am an Agriculture Graduate ( 31yrs) B.Sc (Agriculture-3yrs full time course) from India. I have 11yrs of experience under various capacities in Private Agriculture sector companies in India( I am basically looking for jobs in Agriculture in Agriculturally developed countries, basically I am looking at profiles like Agronomist, Crop Production Managers, Crop Managers etc. [personal employment information deleted] Based on these inputs can you advise me as to which countries should i opt for hunting a job/ immigration, and which are the criteria to watch out for ,what are my options etc. ~~Thanks and Regards, Santhosh

Expert Reply

Dear Santhosh,

The best way to approach looking for a job in another country is to begin by narrowing down your search to a few nations that interest you. Each country has very specific requirements for entry for employment. Many countries require that individuals seeking to gain work permits or visas already have a job lined up before they will even consider approving them to work in the country. That's why you need to spend some time researching countries where you'd like to live.

When you identify a few specific places, and you learn about their immigration policies, you can start your job search. However, if you don't find out what's involved in getting permission to work internationally, you could spend a lot of time looking for a job that can't possibly pan out due to immigration issues. When you're ready to start learning more about the process of going to work in different countries, it's a good idea to check out the Job Openings articles on LoveToKnow Jobs. Best of luck in your job search.

~~ Mary

Hi Mary

I am a fresh graduate from Veterinary Medicine college. I have very good degree and am looking for international job opportunities or training. Can you help?

~~Thanks, Eiman

Expert Reply

Dear Eiman

Each region has its own specific requirements for individuals to gain employment in the veterinary medical field. My best suggestion for you is to think about a few countries where you would like to work and use that as a starting point for finding out what steps you might need to take to try to gain employment or opportunities to study in that area. It's also a good idea for you to check with your academic advisor or someone at your school who works with recent graduates seeking employment. Such individuals might know of opportunities that will work very well for you. Your school might have information about post-graduate fellowship programs in veterinary medicine in other countries, and this might actually be the best way to find international employment in your field. Best of luck in your job search.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

I am aveterinary graduate, passed from Bangladesh agriculural university, Bangladesh, Now I want a veterinary job in any country in the world . How can you help?

~~Thanks, Dr. Md. Abdus Samad

Expert Reply

Dear Dr. Samad,

It's good that you are flexible about where you want to work. However, your job search is going to be much more manageable if you pinpoint a few areas that interest you. In order to work as a veterinarian, you are going to have to become licensed in any country in which you decide to work. You should probably speak with someone at your university's veterinary schools to find out which countries have licensing requirements that most closely match the credentials you have earned. Contact licensing officials in those areas to verify exactly what you'll have to do to become eligible to practice. At that point, if you are truly interested in going to that country to work, you'll need to find out what's involved in getting a work visa (or the equivalent) and then start looking for a job. By limiting your search, at least initially, to countries where you won't have to pursue additional study to be eligible for hire, you'll have a better job of finding a job that you'll enjoy and are eligible to perform.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

I am a 43yrs old male nurse(General Nursing in Diploma)in Indian Army.I did't registered in state nursing council.After my retirement(at the age of 50yrs)can i get a job.

~~Thanks, Babusekaran

Expert Reply

Dear Babusekaran,

It's good that you're planning ahead for your post army retirment career. The best thing for you to do at this point is to contact the state nursing council with your question. They can let you know what steps you need to take now to make sure you'll have the qualifications necessary to go to work as a nurse in the area after you retire from the army. If you're planning to relocate, contact the nursing licensure agency in the place that you plan to live following your retirement from the military. Best of luck in your career.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

How do I communicate with my former employer seeking a fresh job? I had come out on voluntery retirement basis 5 years ago.

~~Raju

Expert Reply

Dear Raju,

If you left on good terms, your former employer may be very happy to hear from you. Simply contact your former company and let the hiring manager know that you are interested in returning to work. Ask about the availability of open positions that match your qualifications and submit an application. If there are no open positions, as for a reference so you may apply with other companies. You can even inquire as to whether your former employer is aware of suitable jobs in other companies if he or she is not able to use your services at this time. Best of luck in your job search.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

Is there a school just for equine vets or do you have to learn about other animals?

~~Hallie

Expert Reply

Dear Hallie,

If you decide to attend veterinary school, you'll spend time learning about general veterinary medicine. Your studies will include a wide variety of animals. You can specialize in large animal veterinary medicine, which will concentrate on horses, cows, and other larger animals. Those who prefer working with dogs, cats, etc. can choose to specialize in small animal veterinary medicine.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary,

I have rejected two good offers from reputed organisations which were upward movement for me. This is based on promise from my own organisation that they would be giving me better position and pay slightly lesser than my offers, which I agreed. This would be in May 2008 so that it wont be looked as if I held them to ransom. However now I feel that my decision was not correct and I took it with a zest to somehow grow in my organisation where I am more or less comfortable. Is there anyway I can reverse my decision in case the offers I declined are still open? Or is it unethical to ask my company to reveal all nitty grittys about what lies in store for me having principally agreed to stay back?

~~ Abbas Bookwala

Expert Reply

Dear Abbas,

It is certainly understandable to make a decision based on staying somewhere where you are comfortable. Sometimes staying put is the right choice and sometimes it is not. If you are thinking that you may not want to stay with your present employer, it's probably a good idea for you to start looking for other employment opportunities, assuming you are not contractually obligated to remain with your current company for a certain period of time.

In virtually every situation in which you reject a job offer, your decision is a final one. It is highly unlikely that an employer will offer the same job to you a second time. Of course, the only way you will know for sure is to ask. However, look at the situation from the employer's perspective. If you didn't want to work for the employer at the time the offer was extended, the employer certainly won't be likely to feel you are now committed to the job or the company. If you really want to work for one of the companies you rejected, you'll likely need to start the application process over.

~~ Mary

Dear Mary, What is the best way to address the fact that you were fired from your last position at a job interview?

~~ Dana

Expert Reply

Dear Dana,

One of the most important things to remember is that it's very important to be honest in job interviews and when filling out employment applications. Answer every question that is asked of you honestly and completely. It is not likely that you are going to be asked, point blank, "were you fired from your last job?" If you are, tell the truth, then focus on what you learned from the experience and how it has made you a better worker.

It's much more likely that you'll be asked "why did you leave your last job?" If you were asked to leave your last job, telling an interviewer that you left the position because you didn't see a future for yourself with that particular company isn't a lie. It also isn't untrue to say that you had advanced as far as possible in your former position, and so are looking for a new job with opportunities for long term success.

Whatever you do, don't badmouth your former employer, supervisor, or anyone associated with the company. This is a complete turnoff to employers. After all, if you say negative things about your former employer, prospective employers will assume that you'll do the same thing to them someday.

~~ Mary

Past Questions

• International Career Questions
• Job Letters and Applications Questions