Career Recruitment Tool Kit

Laboratory professionals are often asked to give talks and/or presentations at career day or other recruitment events for elementary, middle, high school, or college-age students. The Medical Laboratory Careers Tool Kit is a collection of recruitment materials, some of which are free, and activities that can be used to assist in giving a presentation. Other items found in the tool kit are information about the workforce shortage, education programs, certification agencies, and personnel licensure information. The site is designed for all laboratory professionals — staff techs, supervisors, managers, and educators. Middle school and high school educators are also welcome to use the resources provided in this tool kit. Click on each tab below to access the resources within this tool kit.

Career Recruitment Tool Kit

The Committee for Educational Programs and Initiatives (CEPI), a sub-committee of the ASCLS Education Scientfic Assembly (ESA), has developed a new medical laboratory career recruitment video and brochure.

Video (duration 2 minutes, 10 seconds)
- Closed Captioned Version
Brochure - can be used as standalone product or in conjunction with career recruitment video
- Click here to order your brochures via Vistaprint. Take advantage of our special pricing.
- Self - Printing Instructions:
  - Outside page (PDF) (183 Mb file, extended download time)
  - Inside page (PDF) (124 Mb file, extended download time)
  - The brochure should be printed as a tri-fold document.
  - The outside page has three separate graphics. The brochure should be folded so that a separate graphic is displayed on each fold.
  - When opened, the brochure will show the inside page. This page is a single graphic.
  - The brochure can be customized by adding your organization's logo to the outside page.
  - Due to a recent update with Adobe Acrobat, a problem has been discovered when printing these documents. If you experience any issues, you should complete the following steps:
    1. Select printer.
    2. Click on "Advanced" settings for printer.
    3. Check the box for "print as image."
    4. Print.
  - Printing Preferences:
    - Paper Type: Tri-Fold Brochure Paper (printed front and back)
    - Paper Size: 8.5 x 11
    - Paper Density: 120
    - Paper Weight: 32lbs.
    - Paper Finish: Coated

Publications

►ASCP Career Resources – the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) website offers many resources about careers in the medical laboratory.

CDs/ Videos/Online Activities

►ASCLS Recruitment Video and Brochure – The Committee for Educational Programs and Initiatives (CEPI), a sub-committee of the ASCLS Education Scientific Assembly, has created a video and accompanying brochure to the be used in the recruitment of other to the medical laboratory profession. Closed captioned option is available.

►Clinical Laboratory Science: Caring for Our Patients One Test at a Time - Learn about the variety of career opportunities for clinical laboratory scientists and how you could make a difference in the lives of patients everywhere. This movie was created by the ASCLS-Kansas Promotion of the Profession Committee.

►A Life Saved: Laboratory Professionals Make A Difference video - This ASCLS video highlights the role clinical laboratory professionals play in patient care. It is available for download at http://www.ascls.org/a-life-saved-video.

►University of Minnesota has developed online modules for several of the clinical laboratory science disciplines, including clinical chemistry, hematology, clinical microbiology, transfusion medicine, hemostasis, and urinalysis. These are freely available at http://www.alliedhealth.umn.edu/medical-laboratory-sciences-mls/about-mls-profession/explore-practice-areas.

►University of Kansas School of Health Professions – This three-minute video was designed to explore a career in clinical laboratory science at the University of Kansas. It provides a good summary of what it is like to be a student of laboratory medicine and describes the different areas of the clinical laboratory.

► ASCLS Career Center Website – The ASCLS Career Center lists current job openings for laboratory professionals. Job seekers can post their resume, apply for jobs, and sign up for job alerts. Employers can list open positions, search the resume database, and set up email resume alerts.

► ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum website – The ASCLS Ascending Professionals Forum Website contains answers to frequently asked questions from new graduates.

► ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum website – The ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum website offers information about student scholarships, awards, and more.

► ASCP Careers in the Medical Laboratory – This American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) student website offers a variety of information on careers, student scholarships, career resources, and more.

► American Society for Microbiology (ASM) offers several online learning resources for kids to adults.

► What is a Cytotechnologist? Visit the American Society of Cytotechnology (ASCT) for information about educational requirements and a career in Cytotechnology.

► NSH Career Information – The National Society for Histotechnology (NSH) has information about histotechnology careers, education, certification requirements, and more.

► AGT Career Information – The Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT) offers career information, educational and certification requirements, and more.

► NAACLS Student Scholarship information – The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) hosts a list of organizations that offer scholarships to clinical laboratory sciences students.

► LabScience.org -- A website that provides information about laboratory careers in New Jersey.

► University of Minnesota – has created a collection of modules as an introduction to the various disciplines of medical laboratory science.

► Labtestsonline.org – Lab Tests Online is a health information web resource designed to help patients and caregivers understand the many lab tests that are a vital part of medical care.

Ideas and activities to interest people in the profession or increase public awareness

► Increase public awareness of laboratory professionals.

Write an article for the local newspaper or university/college newspaper
If local newspaper classified ad section publishes articles about jobs/career opportunities, contact section editor and offer information for an article
Contact local TV station to provide information about the worker shortage; invite local reporter/camera person to hospital for interviews and taping
Additional resources can be found on the ASCLS Promotion of the Profession website

► Participate in programs that will publicize clinical laboratory science to the general public.

Career days—explain the profession and present an activity via an interesting case study or demonstration (e.g., microscopes with normal and abnormal cells, microorganisms, or practice phlebotomy arms)
Volunteer to provide an informative lecture or discussion to the local AARP chapter about common diseases/testing (e.g., diabetes or anticoagulant monitoring)
Serve as a judge for a local science fair
Volunteer at a health fair

► Partner with Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to help disseminate information about the profession; locate a center in your state.

► Provide laboratory tours and hands-on activities for local schools, Boy Scout or Girl Scout groups, or high school advanced science classes.

► Establish a website to assist grade school and middle school science teachers who want to show examples of careers in science.

► Speak at local student clubs, such as Health Occupations Students of America, Beta Beta Beta for biology majors, pre-professional clubs, or at middle school or advanced high school science classes.

► Schedule open house events in the laboratory; invite prospective applicants from nearby high schools or colleges.

► Create and print bookmarks with brief information about clinical laboratory science and distribute to local public libraries or junior/high school libraries.

► Create and distribute tear-off posters for distribution to local colleges and universities for bulletin board display.

► Collaborate with other health professions within your institution to develop joint recruitment activities.

► Contact your state chapter of the following organizations to develop personal relationships via exhibits or presentations at state meetings:

► Lab Tests Online—This site is a collaborative effort of 15 laboratory organizations and more than 20 laboratory companies; it provides a wealth of information to the public and other health professions educators.

► The Amazing Pull Out Pop Up Body in a Book—This book, by David Hawcock, illustrates the human skeleton and organs. Use as a demo to show how laboratory tests relate to the human body. Designed for children 11+ years old. ISBN 0-7894-2052-X

► Magic School Bus—This is a series of books designed to engage and instruct children in different science topics. Visit www.scholastic.com. Three of interest are:

Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie—A Book About Germs, by Joanna Cole, ages 5-7
Magic School Bus Chapter book #6: The Giant Germ, by Anne Capeci, ages 7-9
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan

► Glo-Germ—Enlightening demonstration to show how germs are passed from person to person and how to wash hands properly.

► Activities for Immunology—These activities may be used in high school biology classes as part of a unit in immunology, the circulatory system, or the virus or bacteria unit to enhance student learning.

► Contact alumni and ask them to attend career fairs at their high school or college; send them materials to use, such as career brochure, CD, video, slides, etc. (See Multimedia Resources tab)

► Require current students to participate in an outreach program each semester to publicize clinical laboratory science to the general public:

Career days where students explain the profession and present an activity via an interesting case study or demonstration (e.g., microscopes with normal and abnormal cells, microorganisms, or practice phlebotomy arms)
Volunteer to provide an informative lecture or discussion to the local AARP chapter about common diseases/testing (e.g., diabetes or anticoagulant monitoring)
Serve as a judge for a local science fair
Volunteer at a health fair
Additional resources can be found on the ASCLS Promotion of the Profession website

► Create lesson plans for science classes at elementary, middle, or high school science classes and volunteer to teach or assist in presenting with the teacher.

For suggestions, visit Bio-Rad’s Biotechnology Explorer™ website for practical hands-on activities that are applicable in the classroom
To create simulate specimens, download the ASCLS Simulated Specimen Formulations Worksheet (.xlsx, read only)

► Build a professional relationship with high school counselors and/or biology and chemistry instructors in the area by corresponding with them one or two times per year; provide information about the shortage and predicted job needs, resources your program has available for presentations/demonstrations, science fair projects/judges, etc.

► Develop a summer course for middle or high school teachers; teach simple lab experiments to use with their students that will promote the profession as a career path. Provide them with a list of online resources about the clinical laboratory.

► Create a joint initiative with clinical sites and laboratory education programs.

Encourage hospitals to set up tuition reimbursement plans or scholarships in exchange for employment for a set period of time after graduation
Set up joint recruitment efforts with clinical sites

► Collaborate with other health profession educational programs within your institution in recruitment activities.

► Increase public awareness of laboratory professionals.

Write an article for the local newspaper or university/college newspaper
If local newspaper classified ad section publishes articles about jobs/career opportunities, contact the section editor and offer information for an article
Contact local TV station to provide information about the worker shortage; invite local reporter/camera person for interviews and taping for feature story
Additional resources can be found on the ASCLS Promotion of the Profession website.

► Contact your state chapter of the following organizations to develop personal relationships via exhibits or presentations at state meetings:

► Partner with Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to help disseminate information about the profession; locate a center in your state.

► Attend career fairs at high schools and colleges; offer to exhibit or present information or a demonstration about clinical laboratory science.

► Schedule open house events in the laboratory during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (4^th week in April each year); invite prospective applicants from nearby high schools to participate.

► Create and print bookmarks with brief information about clinical laboratory science and distribute to local public libraries or junior/high school libraries.

► Create and distribute tear-off posters for distribution to local colleges and universities for bulletin board display.

► Create programs for non-traditional students and biology and chemistry majors with BS degrees that allow more flexibility (part-time programs, CLT articulation programs, etc.).

► Create a one- or two-semester hour course (Health Careers or CLS Introductory Course) to publicize the profession and career opportunities with open enrollment for any science major.

► Develop a measurement system for the different recruitment strategies and periodically evaluate effectiveness (e.g., number of applicants, web statistics, number of students requesting applications; number of students seeking personal advising).

► Magic School Bus—This is a series of books designed to engage and instruct children in different science topics. Visit www.scholastic.com. Three of interest are:

Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie—A Book About Germs, by Joanna Cole, ages 5-7
Magic School Bus Chapter book #6: The Giant Germ, by Anne Capeci, ages 7-9
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan

► Glo-Germ—Enlightening demonstration to show how germs are passed from person to person and how to wash hands properly.

? Question List