3 To-Dos for your New Year’s Resolutions

It’s probably no surprise that losing weight and getting more exercise generally land near the top of our New Year’s resolutions lists every year. But according to the Franklin Covey Co’s survey, two new resolutions broke into the top 10 category in 2013: getting more education and improving career situations.

The two do go hand-in-hand.

If you want a better career, you’ll probably need additional career training.

While starting a new career may seem like a daunting long-term goal, breaking it down into mini-goals can help you get there. Instead of thinking big, try thinking small and following these 3 strategies to find your way to a new career in the New Year:

Reflect

Before you choose a career, consider your own strengths. If you like helping others and really enjoy working with people, you may want to consider a career in the healthcare field where you’ll get to do both. If you’re a problem-solver, maybe a career in Information Technology is just your calling. Or maybe you’ve always imagined yourself working in business. Whatever your interests and natural abilities, there’s likely a career and training available to you.

Research Once you’ve thought about who you are and the kind of work environments that you might like, it’s time to do a little research. Check out careers where top employers are offering the kind of work you might find rewarding.

Did you know:

·         Jobs  in healthcare are amazingly resilient

·          Since 2007, while most industries were losing jobs, healthcare added more than a half-million jobs!

·         Jobs for computer support specialists are expected to grow 18 percent through 2020

·         Administrative assistant positions are expected to see a 12 percent growth through 2020

Inquire But how do you find out more? Asking questions of people already working in the fields you’re considering is one way. Another is to investigate training programs available in your area. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or request information directly from the school. Remember, if you want to set out on the path to a new career, starting with small steps should be your first action. At Quest Learning Centers, you can train for many jobs in healthcare, IT and business in as little as 7 months. We even have a 14-month IT associate degree program. You don’t have to spend years to find a new career. You just need to take that first step.

Career Quest Learning Centers offer an array of career training programs, many of which can be completed in less than 7 months. Call one of our three campuses or contact us here for more information. The beginning to your new career could be waiting behind a Michigan door in Lansing, Jackson or Kalamazoo.

3 Benefits of Working with the Elderly

Careers in the healthcare field offer dependable and rewarding work –especially when you find a focus that’s a fit for you. Working with the elderly provides many intangible rewards that you won’t discover in any other healthcare sector.

Impact

Working in geriatrics gives you the opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life. Elderly patients and nursing home residents truly need the services you provide. You may need to take your patients’ vital signs, such as temperature and blood pressure. You might help them clean, bathe and dress, or serve them meals and help them eat. By assisting them with personal care and helping them retain their independence, you are providing a vital service to your patients. On the front line of caregiving, you also are uniquely suited to be an advocate for them. You can act as liaison between other healthcare workers and your patient and make certain that your patient’s needs are being effectively communicated and satisfied.

Gratitude

Many of the people with whom you’ll work look forward to their interactions with caregivers as a highlight of their day. Your warm and empathetic presence in their lives can mean the difference between a dismal day and a bright one. Seniors are also more willing to show their gratitude. They appreciate what you’re doing for them and they don’t mind telling you so!

Perspective

Nothing helps you understand more about what’s important in life than seeing others face struggles you do not. Seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have travelled much farther along life’s journey than you and they have a lot to teach about what matters most. As you learn about the aging process and what’s to come, you may be better able to set priorities in your own life and remember to spend time with the people who matter most.

Time Machines

One of the common benefits cited by those working with seniors is how much they learn from their patients. Elders have a wealth of knowledge to share and lots of time to do just that. Their tales can be like a hidden time machine, taking you back to a simpler era. Take a ride and you’ll be fascinated with what you discover.

Working with the elderly as a Nurse’s Aide or Medical Assistant means you’ll be working in a field with solid job prospects. The U.S. elderly population is soaring. And according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people worldwide aged 65 and older will nearly double by 2025. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that Nurse’s Aides can expect faster than average job growth through 2020 and medical assistants can expect much faster than average job growth.

When you choose to work with the elderly, you’ll not only be providing important care to a deserving population; you’ll be rewarded with sound job security and true gratitude.

At Career Quest Learning Centers, you can train to work in the healthcare field as a Certified Nurse Aide or Medical Assistant and specialize in geriatrics once you are working. Call one of our three campuses or contact us here for more information. Your new career could be waiting behind a Michigan door at Lansing, Jackson or Kalamazoo.