Everyone needs a break from job searching at some point, and the holidays offer an obvious reprieve from pounding the pavement, working the phone, and trolling the internet for new job opportunities in the healthcare field.

However, you may not want to completely abandon your job search efforts completely, as the holidays offer a cornucopia of networking opportunities! You might make connections that could help you get a foot in the door to advance your job search or your medical career.

Consider the possibilities:

• Travel - You never know who could be standing next to you in the security line or sitting in the seat next to you on the plane! Be prepared to strike up a conversation.
• Parties and Gatherings - Be prepared to meet new people, no matter if you're gathering at your Aunt's house, your in-laws, or at a friend's holiday party. Remember, the people you meet don't even necessarily have to work in the healthcare industry in order to be valuable contacts.
• Down Time - Depending on your travel and celebration plans, you may have more down-time than usual during the holidays. If you have extra time off from school or even from a current job if you're employed, or downtime in between travels or waiting to board a plane, use this time to do some on-line networking, or maybe read a helpful book.

Definitely enjoy your holidays and have some fun! But also keep your mind open to any and all potential networking opportunities!

More:

• Networking Tips for Healthcare Professionals
• Tips for Traveling While Job Searching
• Social Media for Healthcare Professionals

While most companies in other industries are looking for ways to cut back on payroll and overhead, some healthcare companies are actually launching creative marketing campaigns to help attract a high volume of top talent to add to the team.

One example is Novartis Oncology, which has recently launched an interesting and unique campaign enlisting current Novartis employees to help recruit new talent by sharing their perspective on the benefits of working at Novartis Oncology. The company launched a global campaign to help attract and hire hundreds of people worldwide to Novartis Oncology this year.

Novartis is hiring for a variety of medical industry jobs, including Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Marketing, Finance, Compliance, Human Resources, IT, Sales, Communications and Legal.

Talent is needed in the U.S., Japan, Australia, Europe, Russia, China, Latin America, and India.

The campaign allows current employees to post video testimonials, comments, vote on their colleagues' postings, and is very interactive. According to a representative of Novartis Oncology, "Open Employee Generation was able to unite Novartis Oncology's global community - allowing employees from across the globe to connect with one another around their common goal: helping improve and extend the lives of cancer patients around the world."

John Hohneker, M.D., Senior Vice President of U.S. Clinical Development and Medical Affairs states, "The Open Employee Generation campaign is really a global campaign. We pride ourselves on being an open company and culture, and by letting employees do the talking, we feel that will add value to the experience of being in this company."

For more information:

• Novartis Oncology
• Medical Industry Jobs

What is forensic nursing? According to Vida Lock, Director of the Cleveland State University School of Nursing, forensic nursing "bridges the gap between health care and law enforcement." Forensic nurses work with victims of violent and criminal activity, helping treat the patient while also assisting law enforcement with collecting evidence, gathering accounts of the incident, and looking for clues.

Forensic nurses also are trained to help patients deal with the psychological aspects of their ordeal, whether it was a rape, assault, or a traumatic accident. Due to the nature of the field, forensic nursing requires specialized training in dealing with victims and their families, and handling issues legally, delicately, and appropriately.

For more information on this intriguing aspect of the nursing field, I recently consulted with Ms. Lock, as her nursing school at CSU has provided a forensic nursing track since 2002. She provides a wealth of information regarding forensic nursing careers, to help you determine if a career in forensic nursing may be a fit for you.

Today is the day for remembering our veterans, and active duty military personnel, who have valiantly served their country to help protect and provide the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America.

Among those brave men and women are countless military medical personnel including doctors, dentists, nurses, medics, and allied professionals who helped care for the wounded and dying. In a week when a horrific crime was committed at the hands of a military medical doctor, hopefully the actions of one have not overshadowed the positive hard work of many devoted medical military personnel.

My stepfather, Patrick J. Fisher served as a medic in World War II and told stories that sounded like something out of a movie. At 18, with no medical training, he was sent overseas, into enemy territory, to become a man. One day he was graduating from high school, and weeks later he was cradling dying soldiers in his arms, holding them and telling them they're okay, even as he knew they were taking their last breath.

My mom's husband Pat came home alive, but his buddies did not. All that is left of many of his comrades is a scrapbook of photos he kept in remembrance of his friends who were lost. Once, my stepfather flipped through the pages of the scrapbook with me, telling me the stories of each friend, how they lived, and how they died. I felt honored to have "known" these young men who never had a chance to grow old.

Studying medicine and practicing medicine in the military can be very rewarding, and can also be an excellent way to overcome the financial burden of becoming a physician or other medical professional. However, military medical careers provide their own unique challenges including the fact that you don't decide where you live, and of course, war-time deployment is a reality. Imagine providing medical care in a foreign land with bombs exploding around you or enemies approaching. If you're willing to give a few years of your life completely over to the military, and you have an adventurous, patriotic spirit, a military medical career may be an excellent option for you.

Thank you again to our courageous veterans. Your lives and service will never be forgotten.