It is estimated that more than 30 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and the problem can affect people of all ages. At least 1.4 million of those who suffer are children, and 65% are under the age of 65.
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Often thought of as a problem of aging, the fact is that hearing loss can affect people at any age. When hearing loss is suspected, a patient is often sent to see an audiologist for both diagnosis and treatment.
What Is An Audiologist?
An audiologist is a healthcare professional who evaluates, diagnoses and treats hearing loss in adults and children. Most audiologists hold a doctorate degree in audiology from accredited universities or colleges. In addition, most states demand that audiologists be licensed, requiring further testing or continuing education.
What Does An Audiologist Do?
An audiologist treats all types of hearing loss, which are almost all treatable in some manner. An audiologist can:
Examine and assess patients reporting hearing loss
Prescribe and fit hearing aids
Design and implement hearing conservation programs
Develop newborn hearing screening programs
Provide hearing rehabilitation programs
Counsel patients on alternative communication methods such as lip reading or sign language
Conduct research on the causes and treatment of common hearing loss causes
In addition, audiologists often assist in cochlear implant programs and monitor ear or hearing related surgeries. Cochlear implants are small devices placed near the ear, under the skin, that send electric impulses to the auditory nerve. This allows people with certain forms of deafness to hear again. Audiologists are employed in hospitals, schools, clinics, private practice and many other areas that perform health screenings. In addition, audiologists are often called when a patient is suffering from balance and vertigo issues as those could be related to inner ear problems. The equipment used by audiologists include audiometers, computers and other testing devices.
Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers for audiologists are expected to grow by 34%, which is much higher than the national average. The average salary for an audiologist is $69,720 per year, or $33.52 per hour. Most audiologists work full-time while some work nights and weekends to meet the needs of patients. In some areas, audiologists are contracted and must travel from one facility to another in order to meet with patients.
Hearing Aids
One of the tasks normally assigned to an audiologist is the fitting of hearing aids or other devices that can help address the loss of hearing. Research indicates that nine out of 10 people with hearing loss can be helped through the use of hearing aids. Most hearing loss is caused by nerve damage, which can be corrected through hearing aids. An audiologist can determine if a hearing aid, assistive listening device or even hearing rehabilitation can correct the problem and help the patient hear again.
For anyone suffering with hearing loss, whether it is minor or severe, there is no need to live without sound. Being able to hear and pick up on auditory signals makes functioning in the world much easier. In most cases, a hearing aid or assistive listening device like Miracle Ear can help a patient hear clearly with minimal effort.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.