Here are this week’s 5 things you should know.
01. New Year’s Eve places second for the day with the most drunken driving accidents
Behind Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve places second for the day with the most drunken driving accidents of the year. Don’t drink and drive. Let’s ensure everyone gets home alive on New Year’s Eve. Take a cab and if there’s potential for you to stay somewhere that night without ever needing to be on the road at all, do that. You may have done everything responsible but that doesn’t mean you are safe from other people’s poor decision.
Many services to get drunk people home exist, such as volunteer-based Operation Red Nose. Do some Googling of your state/town to find applicable programs.
The “holiday saferide program” is a free service provided by the AAA for both member and nonmember residents of select states, to get your car and your drunk-self home for Christmas and New Year’s. Contrary to social media rumors, this “tipsy tow” is not a nationwide service! Check here to see if the service is offered in your state, and for which holidays. If you don’t live in those states, HERE is a list of similar services compiled by the AAA, organized by state. Many are free. Cost may vary. They are all cheaper than a DUI, so it might be worth the bookmark. Stay safe everyone.
02. A lot of unpaid internships programs are illegal
Unpaid internships are increasingly a fact of life for college students. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 55% of the class of 2012 had an internship or co-op during their time in college. Almost half of those (47%) were unpaid. A third of internships at for-profit companies were unpaid.
Depending on how you look at it, this is either massive exploitation of young people by powerful corporations which worsens inequality, or a valuable opportunity for on-the-job training at lower cost than a degree or certificate at a college or university.
But whatever your moral leanings, in 2013, a judge confirmed what intern advocates have been alleging for years: a lot of these programs are illegal.
Judge William Pauley, who sits on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruled in 2013 that Fox Searchlight’s use of interns in the production of the movies “Black Swan” and “500 Days of Summer” violated minimum wage and overtime laws, and that those interns can file a class action against the studio. He concluded:
They worked as paid employees work, providing an immediate advantage to their employer and performing low-level tasks not requiring specialized training. The benefits they may have received — such as knowledge of how a production or accounting office functions or references for future jobs — are the results of simply having worked as any other employee works, not of internships designed to be uniquely educational to the interns and of little utility to the employer. They received nothing approximating the education they would receive in an academic setting or vocational school.
The tests being hinted at there — of whether an internship provides valuable training and whether it benefits the firm or the intern more — reflect the reasoning of a 2010 fact sheet put out by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces these laws. That fact sheet sets up six criteria to determine if an internship is legal or not:
- The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
- The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.
- The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.
- The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.
- The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.
Pauley cited that fact sheet, reproduced all six points, and then proceeds to determine if the internships in this case satisfied all six requirements. Perhaps the most important result of the ruling is that it treats that fact sheet, effectively, as a binding interpretation of federal law around internships.
03. Most common mistakes to avoid when writing a résumé
Hiring managers hate resumes that are too self-centered; however, that doesn’t mean “be modest.” In fact, it’s just the opposite. You still want to make yourself look like to best candidate for the position, and in order to do that, it’s better to focus on the needs of the business rather than yourself.
When writing a resume, think of it less along the lines of, “this is what I’m looking for”, and more “this is what I can do for you.”
You’ll be surprised at how simple changes in sentence structure, and focusing on action verbs instead of pronouns like “me”, “he”, “we”, can completely change the tone of the resume. You’ll be surprised how.
04. If you ever have to administer an EpiPen…
If you ever have to administer an EpiPen to someone experiencing anaphylaxis, you still need to call an ambulance immediately for further treatment. EpiPen injections are rapid but their effects are short-lived. Even if the person in anaphylaxis seems to respond positively to the EpiPen, they are at risk for a further reaction once the injection wears off.
You also need to inform emergency personnel that an EpiPen was administered so that they can provide appropriate treatment.
You don’t need to jab them with force or swing into it. It’s pretty gentle. You’ll hear and feel the click. Also, hold it against their leg for at least ten seconds. Otherwise, you’ll wind up with a little puddle of epinephrine on the floor.
05. Some very important legal/safety information if you recently acquired a drone
It’s estimated that over 1 million drones were purchased this holiday season. While drones are extremely interesting and fun hobbies, they can pose a danger if not used properly. Here are some things that you should know if you got one recently.
First of all, understand the laws. Drones can pose a danger to people, property and aircraft, so the laws are very important to understand. The following links apply to US drone operators but may contain information all operators will benefit from. Drones are controlled by the FAA and are referred to as UAS (Unmanned aircraft systems).
This is the FAA FAQ for UAS. It contains answers to a lot of questions you may have.
This is the FAA drone registration website. As of Dec. 21st, it is now legally required that anyone operating a drone over .55 lbs must register with the FAA. There is currently a lot of debate over this registry as some argue it’s illegal and others believe that the information in the registry will be publicly available. I won’t give opinions on these as they are up for debate, but I encourage you to do some research into this process. Registration is relatively simple and only costs $5 (refundable).
This is a brief intro the most important drone laws. It is endorsed by the FAA. It is in no way a complete lesson in drone law, but it’s a good place to start.
This is the Academy of Model Aeronautics. It is an association for model aircraft operators. Membership includes an insurance policy that covers injury and property damage (see site for details). They are also the leading force in fighting tougher UAS laws being proposed by the FAA.
One thing I can’t recommend enough to new operators is to BUY A SMALL UAS FIRST. No matter how easy drones seem to fly, they can get out of control and you can hurt yourself or others. Drones don’t fly like helicopters or planes; they are their own beasts. If the first time you fly a UAS is with a $XXX mid-sized drone, you can easily blow hundreds in damage or cause injury. The Hubsan X4 is considered one the best UAS to learn how to fly with. They cost less than $50 online and are a fantastic way to learn how to fly without risking too much money/damage. Other small drones can do just fine as well, feel free to shop around.
Drones are awesome sources of entertainment, but they are a responsibility. They are under a lot of scrutiny from the media and the government. Do your part to help the reputation of drones and their operators improve so we can continue this great hobby for years to come.
