Pharmaceutical waste management is a critical issue globally, especially in developing countries like Indonesia, where rapid urbanization and industrial growth can strain existing waste management infrastructures. Burmeso, a region in Indonesia, faces unique challenges and employs specific practices in managing pharmaceutical waste.

Current Practices

In Burmeso, pharmaceutical waste management primarily revolves around disposal practices at healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Often, these facilities segregate pharmaceutical waste into categories like hazardous and non-hazardous before disposal. Non-hazardous waste typically includes expired medications and packaging materials, while hazardous waste comprises items contaminated with cytotoxic drugs or infectious materials.

The disposal methods commonly used include landfilling and incineration. Landfilling is a straightforward but potentially hazardous method due to leaching of chemicals into soil and groundwater. Incineration, though effective in reducing waste volume, raises concerns about air pollution and requires sophisticated technology to manage emissions safely.

Challenges

Burmeso faces several challenges in effectively managing pharmaceutical waste:

Lack of Awareness and Education: Many healthcare professionals and the general public are unaware of proper disposal methods and the risks associated with improper handling of pharmaceutical waste.

Infrastructure Deficiencies: Limited resources and infrastructure for waste management pose significant challenges. Rural areas often lack proper facilities for safe disposal.

Regulatory and Enforcement Issues: Inconsistent enforcement of regulations and inadequate monitoring exacerbate the problem. Compliance with waste management regulations is often low due to a lack of oversight.

Environmental Impact: Improper disposal methods can lead to environmental degradation, affecting soil, water, and air quality. Pharmaceutical residues in water bodies can harm aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Health Risks: Exposure to pharmaceutical waste poses health risks to waste handlers, healthcare workers, and the community at large, especially in the absence of proper protective measures.

Mitigation Strategies

Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach:

Education and Training: Increase awareness among healthcare professionals and the public about proper pharmaceutical waste management practices.

Infrastructure Development: Invest in waste management infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, to ensure safe disposal and minimize environmental impact.

Regulatory Strengthening: Strengthen enforcement of existing regulations and develop new guidelines where necessary to improve compliance and monitoring.

Technological Innovation: Explore safer disposal technologies such as advanced incineration methods or pharmaceutical waste treatment plants.

Community Engagement: Involve local communities in waste management initiatives to foster a sense of responsibility and sustainability.

Conclusion

Pafiburmeso faces significant challenges stemming from inadequate infrastructure, awareness, and regulatory enforcement. Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts from government agencies, healthcare providers, and the community to implement effective waste management practices and mitigate environmental and health risks associated with improper disposal. By adopting comprehensive strategies and fostering collaboration, Burmeso can move towards sustainable pharmaceutical waste management practices beneficial for both public health and the environment.

Importance of Soft Skills in building IT careers
A lot has changed over the decade in IT industry and the related career options; however, one thing that has stayed true is the relevance of Soft skills that have played pivotal role in building IT careers. You may feel that you can easily carve out an IT professional out of a coding master and have a secret recipe to become an app developer or bagging a job easily in an ITES brand, but without the right soft skills the dream will simply be unattained. Really the secret to success in an IT career is not the technical skills only. Soft skills constitute of that 20% of the Pareto that brings 80% of success in stepping onto the career ladder. Soft skills refer to a person’s Personality traits. They often do not get taught in IT educational institutions or easily acquired by students through numerous learning opportunities. The World Economic Forum Report of 2020 suggested people management, emotional intelligence, coordinating with others and critical thinking to be among the most important Soft skills required in the workplace to excel and keep pace.

So, what are Soft Skills?
Soft Skills are personal traits that affect and influence the way you can work or interact with others. The characteristics of any business relationship at workplace are based upon how one forms and maintains relationships with their team workers. Trust and dependability on others, initiative taking and listening abilities will determine your behaviours at workplace.

Organisations tend to undervalue these skills and invest much lesser in upskilling their task force in these skills than the hard skills.

How do these Soft Skills gain importance in IT sector?
In most cases of IT stalwarts have taken hands-on experience by tinkering their computer in their garages or their unpaid internships. It reinforces how technical skills are much easier to cultivate and develop on the job than some of the soft skills. IT jobs may come in different bandwidths and pay scales, but these can be explored and acquired by showcasing the right soft skills in the selection rounds and at the workplaces.

Then, which are the Soft Skills that one must instil to have a rocking career in IT
1. Communication Skills

Almost every IT job requires good levels of communication skills – written and verbal play a pivotal part in determining how well you can communicate on emails and explain technical concepts to your juniors. Meeting communication will define how the tech ideas are shared and well understood by the co-workers. Security issues can increase due to the inability of a team leader to communicate right instructions and checklist to his team. As a manager, you will need to understand the verbal and non-verbal nuances of your team to delegate tasks, develop the right skills and retain the essential talent.

Just the end user’s profile and usability is important in a better application and its products, effective communication will reflect when one understands two sides of the communication process at workplaces. The ability to adjust your communication parameters and the lack of it can create ripple effect in the team. The entire team would face an escalation or consequences by the management because one person wasn’t able to effectively communicate and make his team understand the context and objectives well.

2. Empathy

Building technological tools is keeping in mind the psyche and feasibility study done from the end user’s objective. Take an example, a Marketing hire will be required to analyse the market trends and the buying psyche of an individual in his daily life. Likewise, a Tech professional or designers will need to understand and empathize the end user to resolve the issues in his product or services. The sheer lack of understanding and achieving the right fit will add to the miscommunication errors and the resulting costs.

Ability to empathize others will only augment the ability to help, collaborate and get tasks done far more efficiently by any engineer or team lead.

3. Creativity

Creativity is a broad spectrum to what one could easily say as ‘means to an end’. This skill requires one to think out-of-the-box, find alternative and innovative solutions to problems. Creative and critical thinkers have flexible mindsets and are prepared to brainstorm for many ideas. They are also ready to accept solutions from different team members. Although it may not be one of the yardsticks while hiring an IT professional, it is that skill that can set them apart from the herd. One of the major challenge today for IT sector is to find super solutions in a far more creative and feasible ways and cater to dynamic business needs of their client base.

4. Collaboration

As much as a tech professional deals with complex problems in his tools and codes, he can succumb to complex people issues. IT hires are mostly in the early age groups with a millennial mindset, they have high expectations from their employers. The ability to interact, anticipate and synergize diverse minds and talent to common goal will manifest into a good collaborative leader. To build champion and large teams in an IT workplace, one needs to foster communication, trust, and responsiveness. This Soft Skill will make one’s life easier, enrich work relationships, open the doors of communication and workflows, and position yourself well in organisational success.

5. Project Management

As an IT professional, you are expected to juggle multiple projects, meeting the right deadlines is highly critical. Despite holding large teams, one will need to make a blueprint of goals and deliverables and work with each stakeholder to resolve issues in the project. Refined project management skills will earn you more brownie points in form of larger projects, more visibility and accolades, and leadership positions.

It is highly common to undervalue the importance and relevance of these Soft Skills or overestimate your current Technical skills as a one-stop solution to all complex issues. You may be strong in your coding skills or technical know-how, but may rarely proceed to next level in the organisation because of the sheer lack of soft skills. These 5 skills will not only help you to pass the selection process but also make you a most-sought after employee at your workplace and a far more fulfilled career growth.

In today’s competitive, volatile and lean organisations, soft skills are important assets for any IT professional if they wish to stand out, open fruitful career options, and add equity to their Persona in rapid pace.

Introduction:
The interview is an important phase in the job search process.They provide a chance for applicants to highlight their abilities, character, and suitability for the position. It is possible to transform an interview into a job offer with the right planning and approach. These ten pointers can help you ace your upcoming interview.
1. Research the Company
Spend some time learning everything you can about the firm before the interview. Understanding the company’s mission, values, culture, and recent achievements can help you customise your responses to align with the company’s goals. Visit the company’s website, read recent news articles, and review their social media profiles. This research will not only prepare you for potential questions but also demonstrate your genuine interest in the job opportunity.

2. Understand the Job Description
Carefully review the job description and understand the key responsibilities and required skills. Identify the core competencies the employer is looking for and think about how your experiences align with these requirements. Prepare specific examples from your past work or academic experiences that showcase your ability to perform these tasks effectively.

3. Practice Common Interview Questions
Preparing for common interview questions can boost your confidence and improve your performance. Some standard questions include:

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to work here?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Give an account of a difficult circumstance that you managed.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
4. Dress Appropriately
It’s important to dress correctly for an interview since first impressions count. Examine the dress code of the organization and select an ensemble that complements their style. The majority of professional situations call for business dress. Make sure your clothing is wrinkle-free, clean, and fits properly. Respecting the business and the interview process is demonstrated by wearing professionally.
5. Be Punctual
Arriving on time for your interview demonstrates professionalism and reliability. When planning your trip, give yourself additional time to account for unforeseen delays. Make an effort to get there to 10-15 minutes early for your interview.If your interview is virtual, test your technology beforehand to avoid technical issues and ensure you join the meeting on time.

6. Bring Necessary Documents
Carry multiple copies of your resume, a list of references, and any other documents that might be relevant, such as a portfolio or certifications. Having these materials readily available shows that you are organised and prepared. For virtual interviews, ensure you have digital copies that you can quickly share if needed.

7. Showcase Your Soft Skills
While technical skills are important, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are highly valued by employers. During your interview, highlight these skills through your responses and behaviour. Demonstrate active listening, maintain eye contact, and express enthusiasm for the role. Employers seek candidates who can work well with others and adapt to various situations.

8. Ask Insightful Questions
Towards the end of the interview, you will likely be given the opportunity to ask questions.Prepare intelligent inquiries that demonstrate your interest in the position and the business. Some examples include:

What other details can you provide about the group I’ll be working with?
What are the team’s primary obstacles at the moment?
How does the organisation encourage career advancement and professional development?
Can you describe the company’s culture and values?
Asking insightful questions shows that you are engaged and serious about the job opportunity.

9. Follow Up After the Interview
Following up with a thank-you email after the interview can leave a positive impression. Express your gratitude for the opportunity, reiterate your interest in the role, and briefly mention why you believe you are a good fit. A well-crafted follow-up email demonstrates professionalism and reinforces your enthusiasm for the position.

10. Reflect and Improve
Spend some time reviewing your performance following each interview. Think back on your successes as well as your places for improvement. Getting input from peers or mentors you can trust can yield insightful information. Your interviewing abilities will gradually improve with constant reflection and development, raising your chances of success in subsequent interviews.
Conclusion
Successfully navigating the interview process requires preparation, practice, and a positive attitude. By researching the company, understanding the job description, practising common interview questions, dressing appropriately, being punctual, bringing necessary documents, showcasing your soft skills, asking insightful questions, following up, and reflecting on your performance, you can significantly improve your chances of securing the job opportunity you desire.