2010 March

Get Accurate Career Information

If I have learned anything in my thirty years of being a career counselor, it is that spending your life doing a career that you do not love is a waste of time. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that choosing the wrong career for you could be one of the most serious mistakes a person can ever make. Getting accurate career information is hugely important because of this.

Think about it. You will spend thirty or more years of your life working full time. That is a really long time to spend doing something that you do not absolutely love. The thing I hate seeing most is people who feel like they are tied in to a profession that they hate. I became a career counselor to help solve this problem. I love working with college students giving them proper career information that helps them to make informed decisions about career choices.

One of the most important ways to enter a career wisely is to inform yourself with accurate career information. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you discover the truth about any profession you are thinking of entering. The worst thing you can do is enter a career blindly. So take time and find ways to get career information about the careers you are considering.

One of the quickest ways to get career information is to make a meeting with a career counselor like myself. Meet with someone who is knowledgeable about many careers and who will help you find a career that fits well with who you are and with what you value. Whatever career you choose, it must be connected to something you value. It is a terrible thing to get up for work in the morning and realize that you could care less about your job and that it has no real value to the rest of the world.

You can also find great career information by doing an internship or by visiting different careers that interest you. For example, if becoming a teacher interests you, try helping out in a teacher’s classroom for a few weeks and see if it is something you’d really enjoy. You will be so glad that you took time to try something before you made a commitment to it. After all, you cannot afford to keep changing your mind about careers and end up unhappy in the process.

Get career information and be one step closer to having a career that excites you and that fits your dreams and values. There is nothing better than that.

Get a boost in your amateur career through internship

An internship is a pre-professional work experience for the students and recent graduates by which they gain experience in a particular career field. The internship program provides practical experience to the intern through direct exposure of the company environment. During the internship the assignments are tailored according to the interns so as to expose the student to the areas in which they are specializing in their academic studies. The summer internship program provides an excellent opportunity to the young aspirants to gain work as well as internship experience.

Internship blogs
The students and graduates write internship blog to tell their internship experience and also help the other aspirants as guides them and provides internship advice to them about the internship. The internship blogs really help in conveying the information about the experience with the company and other internship experiences also. Majority of the internship blogs written are just personal experiences of the interns but they really give good internship advice related to different career fields to the young aspirants.

Summer internship procedure
For the summer internship program the placement office of the college contacts the companies. Then the interested companies tell their requirements regarding the interns along with the project details to the placement cell for their different internship programs. Thereafter the placement office sends the resumes of the students to the companies for the summer internship program. Afterwards the companys shortlist the student and send the student list to the placement office. Then the interested companies conduct the summer internship recruitment process at the college campus. The selection for summer internship is based on personal interviews and group discussions. Thereafter the companies announce the list of selected candidates. The companies if not visiting the campus will select the students on the basis of their resumes and telephonic interviews. But just as an internship advice students should apply to several companies and should accept the appropriate offer. The companies also have a waiting list of students for summer internship. And by doing internship in a reputed company the student can get further placement in the same company.

Student Evaluation
The intern works under the supervision of the company executive who evaluates the interns performance during the summer internship program. Then the company executive sends interns feedback in the evaluation sheet provided by the placement office. The student is then evaluated by faculty members on the basis of the project report submitted and the project presentation. After the completion of the degree the fresh pass outs can get good jobs due to the internship experience as now they have the practical experience of the working procedures in the company.

Benefits of internship
There are many benefits of the internship experience as per various internship blogs seek by the fresher for the internship advice. The resume of the student gets a boost by the letter of reference from company after the completion of internship. The student also gets an internship experience that provides an exposure to internal workings of the company. The students also get to work closely with industry professionals and gain new professional skills for their future. One can also establish valuable contacts during the summer internship which help them in getting jobs after the internship ends. For further information, browse to the site www.internshipblogger.com

Tags: internship, internship experience, internship advice, internship blogs, summer internship

A Career In Medical Transcription: Is It For You?

Youve very likely heard of someone who is making a good living as a medical transcriptionist. He or she might even be working from the comfort of their home. And youve probably asked yourself if this might be a career option for you.

It may well be. Lets take a look at the facts.

What exactly is medical transcription? In the course of their work, doctors and other healthcare professionals make dictated recordings of various things including physical examination observations, patient history, operative reports, referral letters, discharge summaries, observations regarding imaging data and so on.

A medical transcriptionist listens to these recordings and transcribes them into medical reports, correspondence, etc. She listens to a segment of recording, pauses the playback and keys in what is said before moving on to the next segment. She may do some editing for better grammar and clarity.

The transcribed document is sent back to the health care provider who then reviews it for accuracy and gets it signed. These documents become part of the patients medical history records and perhaps insurance records.

To be effective at this job, you should understand medical terminology well. That includes anatomy, pharmacology, diagnostic procedures, treatment assessments and more.

Many distance education programs, colleges and vocational schools offer post-secondary training in medical transcription. Having a degree is not essential. With a home-study course, you can usually pick up the necessary knowledge within a year, often in less than nine months.

You can find work in hospitals, laboratories, physicians offices, firms offering transcription services, government medical facilities and so on. Working from home is also a possibility and many employers offer work-at-home options for transcriptionists. Apart from that, many individuals work as independent contractors.

With experience, it is possible to move into supervisory positions, which include editing work, teaching, consulting, etc.

What equipment would you need, if you wanted to do medical transcription at home? Not very much — a computer with a medical spellchecker, printer, a transcriber and reference books are about all you need. To help you save on the actual typing, a word expander utility might help. If you are on a tight budget, buy second hand equipment will do just as well.

Medical transcription work does call for certain skills and mindset. Apart from basic computer skills, you must be detail oriented. If detail work bores you to tears, this might not be the career for you.

You must know typing, although speed will come with practice. You should also have excellent listening skills and grammar skills.

If youre planning to work from home, it is essential to be comfortable with working alone and meeting deadlines. You must be a self-starter who can work consistently without being driven by a boss.

Given the growth in health practices and hospitals and the need for standardization of records, the demand for medical transcription services is likely to keep growing. You should carefully analyze the pros and cons of this field before venturing into it. Medical transcription provides a rewarding and fulfilling career for many people and it can do the same for you too.

A Career In Accounting

Accounting is the study of how businesses track their income and assets over time. Accountants do much more than the generic presumptions; they compute costs and efficiency gains from new technologies, participating in strategies for mergers and acquisitions, quality management, developing and using information systems to track financial performance, tax strategy, and health care benefits management.

The career is a highly momentous and versatile. The field is usually divided into three broad areas: auditing, financialtax and management accounting. Audit: Work in audit involves checking accounting ledgers and financial statements within corporations and government.

Budget Analysis:
Budget analysts are responsible for developing and managing an organizations financial plan.

Financial:
Financial accountants prepare financial statements based on general ledgers and participate in important financial decisions involving mergers and acquisitions, benefitsERISA planning and long-term financial projections.

Management Accounting:
Management accountants work in companies and participate in decisions about capital budgeting and line of business analysis.

Tax:
Tax accountants prepare corporate and personal income tax statements and develop tax strategies involving issues such as financial choice, how to best treat a merger or acquisition, deferral of taxes, when to expense items and the like.

Various levels of skill are apportioned dissimilarly amongst the divisions which implies that depending on your position their will be specific demands on your adeptness, while average
speaking skills are requisites for all areas; the ability to synthesize varies from throughout each. Audit accounting requires a medium level of skill, tax and financial demands a low level of skill, and Management accounting a high level of proficiency.

Entry level accountants can expect a very team oriented environment. Often they will start as a junior member of a team responsible for auditing an important account or preparing financial statements. It is imperative that junior members learn to pull their weight, and function as a capable, effective, and useful member of the unit. Anyone interested in the field can prepare for a bright career.

According to the bureau of labor statistics their have been considerable increases in job openings, reflective of the fields growth and competitiveness. With the right skills and education this growth establishes the possibility for an incredibly profitable career.

Top firms include KPMGPeat Marwick, Ernst and Young, Deloitte and Touche, Arthur Anderson, Price WarterhouseCoopers, Grant Thornton, BDO Seidman, and McGladerly and Pullen. College graduates seeking entry level positions should consider employment with these firms. Most people do not make partner at public accounting firms but the experience and training can be excellent.

From there, many move on to careers with an accounting focus in business or government. Ambitious talented accountants can advance their career with the acquisition of skills and experience along the way and subsequently enjoy a very successful career.

A Career Built On Character

“Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.” ~Elmer G. Letterman

“The best job goes to the person who can get the job done without coming up with excuses or passing the buck” ~Napolean Hill

What About Politics?

Political Astuteness is something that you may not learn in school; however, it plays a significant role in success in business.

“Man is by nature a political animal.” ~Aristotle

Take Control
It’s important to keep in mind that you are responsible for your own career. Don’t Expect the Human Resources Department to plan your career. In fact, don’t expect anyone else to be concerned about it either.

There have been times in my career when someone has taken an interest in my promotion; however, it has always been in their own best interests to do so. Remember, companies are in business primarily to make money.

Dress for success
There is a clear distinction between how a President, a Senior Vice-President, a Vice-President, and District Manager dress. You should dress just a cut above your current level.

Above Everything, Have Integrity

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” ~Alan Simpson

You will find that the concentration of integrity increases the higher you go in an organization.

Remember Who You Work For

Always Support the Company
It’s true that where your treasure is, your heart will be also. There will be ample opportunities on a daily basis to bash your employer. Resist those opportunities. Keep in mind that (1) you chose this company, (2) they pay you, and (3) you can leave if you want. The leaders of the company will not be impressed by your ability to complain.

Make Your Boss and Your Boss’s Boss Look Good
As a practical matter, you are most likely working to take your boss’s job. Hopefully, your boss will be promoted, which will leave a vacancy. If your boss is not going anywhere, then the next level will have a major impact on your next position.

Who are the Leaders of the Company?
Find out the background of the company executives. What career path did they take? Chances are, they will value those credentials above others. Take note of great people in the company and get connected to them. If possible, find a way to work for them. If not, establish a network with as many of them as possible. The best possibility is to ask one of them be your mentor. You will be surprised how many people will be interested in helping in this regard.

Learn the Rules

“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” ~Spanish Proverb

Watch What You Write or Say. Assume that anything you write or say will be read or heard by everyone in the company. E-mail makes it easy to respond emotionally. Before you respond to an irritating e-mail, take a minute to calm down, then, write the e-mail. If you have a tendency to send harsh messages, save a draft and review it sometime later to ensure the tone is business appropriate.

A corollary to this principle is Happy Hour – don’t go! There is a huge risk of saying something you shouldn’t say, getting out of control, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You should stay out of office politics. Don’t say anything bad about anyone, ever.

Arrive Early and Leave Late, but Not Too Late. You want the reputation of a hard worker, but not one that can’t get their work done. This principle also applies to taking work home. Over the long-term, you want to have a life outside of work. Maintaining a worklife balance will keep you engaged in your job; therefore, more productive.

Find Out What Your Boss Wants and Deliver. Regardless of your personality, relationships, or good looks, you must be productive. For your boss, it means doing what they want, no matter how silly it may seem to you. For example, I had a boss that wanted to know how many Dairy Queens between Dallas and Houston served a particular yogurt.

Always say, “Yes!” to a request from leadership. For your boss, there are ways to provide better solutions without damaging the relationship.

“Always do more than is required of you.” ~General Patton

Give People Credit. Don’t take credit for yourself. This is important for a variety of reasons. First, you need people to help you get things done. Second, when people recognize people who work for you, you get the credit as well. Third, it’s the right thing to do.

Conclusion

When It Comes to Your Career

1. You’re Responsible

2. Remember Who You Work For

3. Learn the Rules

As Bill Karnes put it, “Eagles don’t flock; they fly alone. And eagles soar above the rest of their world. So, too, do people who start things, who lead groups or who otherwise set themselves apart from the crowd.”