In Transition: For Love Or Money |
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Career Transitions into Technology for Money -- for the over-40 crowd
From: Administrative Assistant in Defense Industry To: Medical Records Coding Specialist
This 10-year administrator had the foresight to investigate new options outside the declining defense industry. By focusing solely on in-demand careers with growth potential and by networking with people in these types of jobs, she decided two years before she was laid off that her transition would be easiest into the growing medical records field. She didn't wait for someone to lay her off, offer her outplacement, or fund her education. Instead, she contacted community colleges to find out about this two-year course of study and got four prerequisites (computer skills, anatomy, physiology, English) under her belt to be able to enter the program. Since her own schedule precluded attending on-campus courses, she enrolled in a correspondence course of study via the American Health Information Management Association in Chicago, completed all the coursework, tests and became certified within a two-year period.
Cost: Approximately $2,500
Result: New Career
Resources:
Find information on:
professional certification where individuals code patient records and services in a variety of healthcare settings (hospitals, physician's office, HMOs, managed care facilities, medical group practices).
Careers involving medical coding standards:
Laguna Medical Systems
Claitor's Law Books and Publishing
Physician To: Medical Web Master
A gastroenterologist, who at mid-life became disabled unexpectedly, put his skills to good use on the Web in the growing area of cyber medicine. Intrigued by what was going on via the Internet, he expanded his technical skills by taking short courses in HTML, Java, Future Splash, and Shockwave. He joined user groups, finding mentors and apprenticeships to constantly hone his new craft, and offered his services gratis until his skills were up to par. While his original strength was providing medical content in specific areas, he was able to expand his business by researching additional medical information and understanding how to present it on the Web. To follow a similar path, contact your local community college, night high school, college extension program, computer store, or even Comp USA for courses.
Approximate cost: $2,000
Result: New Career
Resources:
Check out these sites for Web jobs:
From: Armed Forces To: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
She had technical, program management, and people skills after 25 years with the Armed Forces. But this soon-to-be ex-Army woman wanted to refashion herself into a high-tech civilian with a killer skill set. By enrolling in a Microsoft certification professional program (MCSE), within three months she had completed the courses and was interviewing for new, well-paying jobs in the city of her choice. She learned effective affordable practice tests solutions for Microsoft MCSE, Lotus Notes, Aplus, and Novell certification programs.
Cost: From several hundred up to $10,000, depending on the level of certifications and for which products you are intending to qualify. Courses are available in technical schools, at community and 4-year colleges, extension programs, and online. Select programs that work with you until you are certified, that help find you good jobs, and that finance these classes at low interest rates, if needed.
Result: New Career
Resources:
For Microsoft and Novell courses:
Get information about online exams or to explore the subject further, go toHot Bot and enter "MCSE" in the main search box, 25 options per page. And "more search options" where Microsoft is a keyword to be used in the search.
 Careers for Fun and (Some) Money
Career Transitions for Love
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