Weekend Reading #2

It always amazes me how many great blog posts can come out in a week.  Sometimes it is really hard to keep up with all the blogs that I read but I think that reading is an important part of self-development and self-development is an important part of finding a career that you love.

I hope that you enjoy some of the great blog posts that I've found this week:

• 7 Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before The Year Ends - by Dumb Little Man
• Common Interview Questions & Answers: Work Habits | Resumark Blog - Get Paid to Post Resume and Search Jobs Online
• A Cup of Coffee to Context | Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
• Desperately Seeking Confident Job Seeker | Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
• How To Protect Your Resume From Identity Thieves | Resumebear Online Resume
• 7 Career Tips for the New Year | Career Rocketeer
• How to Create a Resume to Smooth Over 6 Common Job History Problems | EmploymentDigest.net
• How To Build Social Credibility During Job Search | Tim's Strategy
• The Office Professional's Place by Elite Office Concepts: Don’t Make a New Year’s Resolution – Create a Vision
• The Medicine Ball Job Interview Strategy | Tim's Strategy

Robertson College Calgary Campus Health Care Aide Workshops

Health Care Aide Workshops @ Robertson College: Calgary Campus


If you need to upgrade your skills, these workshops are for you!


Assisting with Medication - January 13th, 20th, 27th
Assisting with Medication Refresher - March 3
Vital Signs Refresher Course - February 10th
Preventing Violence & Crisis in the Workplace - February 3rd
Palliative and End of Life Care - February 17th & 24th


Upon successful completion of each training session, you will receive a Robertson College certificate of completion.
Call or email now to reserve your seat!
ph: (403) 920 -0070
@: calgaryinfo@robertsoncollege.com

Recently there has been a shortage of certified health care professionals and it is putting a strain on the health care industry.  If you love helping people you could find yourself in a career that his highly in demand.  Depending on the field of study you are interested in you could complete you training an anywhere from 5-10 months by entering an instructor led program with low student to teacher ratios.  Business colleges use a combination of hands-on learning and theoretical learning to help students become fully trained in their fields.

One of the most popular programs is the Health Care Aid program.  This program will cover things like the role of Health Care Aids in the health care system and it will train students to do physical things like lifts and transfers.  Students will also learn about home management, patient care plans, and meal preparation.  Graduates of Health Care Aid programs often find positions in hospitals, private homes, and in long-term care facilities.  Compassionate individuals with the appropriate training are high in demand and they will find many rewards in this field.

Some of the other skills that health care students will learn include:

Verbal communications skill - it is important to be able to communicate with clients and with the family of clients who want to know about the progress of their loved ones.  Sometimes this is not easy because you will need to deliver news that is not what they were hoping for.  With good verbal communications skills though, you will be able to relay this information in the most tactful way possible.

Medical terminology - as you relay information to doctors and nurses in your patients' case you must be able to use the correct terminology.  If you are not familiar and comfortable using this terminology you can make mistakes that can affect your patient's health and even cost them their lives.

People skills - whenever health care is involved you can be sure that people are scared, anxious, worried, and need reassurance so your people skill must be at their best.  Do you know how to change your tone to suit the situation?  Can you choose the right words to make people feel better?  Are you able to use verbal signs that are reassuring?  All of these things come into play with you people skills and using them effectively can help you do your job better.

Welcome to the first post for Weekend Reading.  I do a lot of reading - not just a little - but a LOT!  One of the areas I am constantly reading about is jobs, careers, and building on professional brand.  I do this for myself but I do this for the readers of this blog as well.  Sometimes what I've been reading ends up being featured here in a new way and sometimes I just put it on the back burner for later use. 
I thought that you might enjoy some of the more interesting things I've been reading so I've decided to start sharing with you.
So, this is what I've been reading in the past week or so:

• The Admin Professional | & your administrative career
• 5 Essential Steps to Create Career Fulfillment | CAREEREALISM.com
• 7 Things to Do When You Start Your New Job | Career Rocketeer
• Education Week: Experts Begin to Identify Nonacademic Skills Key to Success
• Is that Even Legal? | CAREEREALISM.com
• What Your Resume Needs | Career Rocketeer
• Get That Interview Every Time | EmploymentDigest.net
• Is Entrepreneurship for You? | Grow With Stacy
• Things They Don't Teach You In Business School: When The Shoe Fits, In More Ways Than One
• Un-Stink Your Goals! Enjoy the Sweet Smell of Success. | Business Fitness

So You've Decided You Want to Be an Administrative Assistant

Now you just need to decide what field you want to work in!  But how do you figure out what field would be best for you?  Well, before you can make a decision like this you really need to get to know yourself.  You need to spend some time thinking about what you like to do, what is important to you, and what skills you already have.

So, sit down with some paper and pen and get ready to think!

First, you should look at the jobs you've had and the skills you already have.  Write down every job you've had and leave room to write down the skills you learned at each job.  You're also going to write down the things you LIKED about each job and the things you DIDN'T LIKE about the job.  Spend a good amount of time doing this.

Once you're done with the jobs think about the things you LIKE doing in your non-working time.  Do you like to spend time with friends or are you more of a loner?  Do you like learning computer programs?  Do you spend your time on the Internet doing social networking?  Do you prefer to be more active than sitting?  Are you interested in current events or entertainment?  All of those things can help you decide what kind of jobs you should be applying for.

Finally, get out the phone book and do some browsing.  Write down every place that you think would be interesting or enjoyable to work for.  Yes, every single one.  Then think about what kind of admin help they might need.  Now you have a list of places to consider applying for and you can narrow down the fields that you would be best suited for.

The Administrative Professional and Bookkeeping course is well suited for a wide assortment of fields.  Whether you like to be more creative or you like more structured settings the skills you learn in this course can be very helpful.

The Medical Office Assisant course is great for those who like helping people and have a very calm and reassuring demeanor. 

The Legal Office Assistant course is better suited to people who are great at remembering terms and love current events and the law.

The Veterinary Office Assistant course is perfect for those who love animals and love doing hands on work.
 
The Accounting and Payroll Administrator course (an extension of the Administrative Professional and Bookkeeping course) is perfect for those with a mind for logic and numbers!