Things to Note Before Becoming a Pest Control Technician

Contrary to what some may believe, you don't have to go to college to be successful in life. In some cases, people actually attain their degrees and end up working in a totally different field. For instance, they may get a degree in business and end up becoming a teacher. They may even get a degree in psychology and end up becoming a lawyer. There are even some cases where people choose a career path that didn't even call for any type of degree. Whatever the case may be, there are several roads to success. One of them is becoming a pest control technician. Although there may not be four years of college involved, there is still a great amount of skill and training involved. However, there are other important factors that a potential pest control technician should keep in mind if they are thinking about going into this field.

For instance, they should do as much research as possible. Many people are not aware of everything that is involved in working in this field. In their eyes, these are the people who go around to residential homes and spray every so often. Although this may be one aspect of their job, there is much more. In actuality, these technicians are also responsible for doing work on farms, in gardens and even in large factories. In other words, they work wherever they are needed. So, they aren't just limited to residential neighborhoods. This is important to note, before entering the field. That is because someone could begin their journey as a technician only to find that they are not cut out for the job. Therefore, it's best to go in with as much information as possible.

Another important thing for them to do is get as much advice as possible. A good idea would be for them to call around to some of the local pest control services and see if they can speak to a manager or be connected with an owner. They should let them know their plans and ask if they could come in and talk to some of the workers. This will allow them to get information that may not be available anywhere else, even in the most expensive text books.

On top of everything else, a potential pest control technician should make sure that this is something they are willing to work for. Although they don't need to go to college to enter into this industry, there are still educational and certification requirements they must meet. So, it's important to begin the journey knowing everything that is required of them. That way they don't end up wasting valuable time.

Fastest Growing Allied Healthcare Careers

Some of the fastest growing professions in the country are allied healthcare occupations. But what exactly does allied healthcare mean and how is it different from healthcare? Allied health refers to the services outside of the three main healthcare disciplines of medicine, dentistry, and nursing.

Allied healthcare covers a whole gamut of services including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, home health aide workers, dental assistants, medical sonographers, speech pathologists, laboratory technicians, etc.

The list is by no means comprehensive and there are tons of other allied health professions that are growing in demand. However, there are a few that stand out because of their minimal training requirement and immense potential. Some such fast growing allied healthcare careers are:

Medical Transcription: Medical transcriptionists held about 95,100 jobs in the year 2010.* The medical transcription practice involves listening to recordings of doctor dictations and converting them into factually and grammatically correct written reports. Being able to understand medical terminology, typing efficiency and editing skills are the core competencies required for this job. Medical transcriptionists may work at hospitals, offices of physicians, or firms that provide transcription services. Many of them are also self-employed and work from home.

To start a career in medical transcription, it's important to complete a postsecondary training program in the field. It's also desirable, though not mandatory to have a Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) or Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certification awarded by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).

Pharmacy Technician:Pharmacy technicians are professionals who assist licensed pharmacists in performing a number of clerical, administrative and pharmacy-related tasks. A typical work day for a pharmacy tech includes completing tasks like helping pharmacists in filling prescriptions, responding to patient queries, mixing medications, maintaining patient profiles, managing cash register, packaging and labeling bottles, etc.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth in employment of pharmacy techs in the 2010-20 decade is 32 per cent**, much faster than average for all occupations. Formal training requirements are none, but completing a pharmacy tech course and getting certified will definitely provide aspirants to this career a competitive edge in the job market.

Medical Coding and Billing:Medical coding and billing specialists use various classifications systems to assign codes to treatments, diagnoses, tests, and other clinical procedures performed on patients. These coded documents are used for healthcare reimbursement purposes as well as to maintain patient records, medical histories and hospital databases.

Pros and Cons of Online Jobs

As with anything in abundance on the Internet, there are many pros and cons with online jobs. When dealing with anything online, you'll want to exercise extreme caution when submitting any personal information, including your resume, phone number, and address. Never give out your social security online - always wait to meet the person or company you are applying with.

The pros of online jobs are their sheer abundance. There is a job board and job advertisement for literally anything you can dream up. From zoologists to engineers to clothes folders or telemarketers, you'll find there's a job for that. There are job boards called niche job boards that specialize in a certain kind of job or industry. For example, a job board may have postings targeted for diverse individuals, such as minorities, veterans, or disabled workers. They may specialize in manufacturing, healthcare, or education jobs. If there a job, you can probably find a job board for it as well.

Another pro about looking for online jobs is the ease of use. Most people, both young and old, can figure out how to apply for online jobs. It's usually very straightforward: click on the job, read through, and follow the instructions carefully. This may involve putting in your job history and references manually, or you may be able to upload a resume. If you have a basic knowledge of computers and how to upload documents, you should find the process of applying fairly easy.

One con dealing with online jobs is the potential to get scammed. When searching for jobs online, it's important to be educated on how to detect scams. A scam is a job posting that lures you in with the promise of great things, but then asks for money up front for training, manuals, or software. More than likely if a company asks you to pay for your own tools, it is a scam. If the job posting does not have a detailed job description and a summary about the company, or the job posting link takes you to a questionnaire that does not ask relevant job interview questions, it is probably a scam. There are other ways to uncover scams. Unfortunately there are many scams posted on job boards, so finding them is actually very easy. The hard part is uncovering the trickier ones that can be more difficult to spot. Scams may be embedded in stay-at-home jobs on reputable job boards. Job boards are doing all they can to prevent the publication of these fake jobs, but some still get by.

Another con about online jobs is the fact that so many people utilize this, and your application might get buried under the competition. Hiring managers are literally swamped with resumes. Some claim there are stacks upon stacks of resumes on their desk. They may spend hours a day sifting through these stacks, and human error could result in a talented person getting placed in the inferior pile. Because they get so many resumes, often companies don't respond to your application, which can be a frustrating experience.

Reshav Singhal writes on behalf of AJE, a leading job portal for jobs in America. Americasjobexchange.com is a recruitment platform that provides many services like Federal Contract Compliance, Recruiting etc.

Starting a Career As a Secretary

Starting a career as a secretary takes patience and preparation. First the budding secretary will need to seek out and apply for multiple jobs. Fortunately there are many secretarial positions at companies throughout the United States. Finding these jobs takes a little sleuthing online and in-person networking offline.

Before applying for jobs, the job seeker may want to get a good idea as to what a day in the life of a secretary is like. To do this, he or she will want to take a look at some typical job descriptions.

Secretarial duties include answering the phone, directing calls, responding to queries, arranging travel, booking conference rooms, welcoming guests, shuttling guests around building, alerting people of visitors, tidying reception area, creating correspondence, and handling the coordination of mail in and out of the office. They send out emails, fax documents, retrieve files, cancel and confirm appointments, take and file insurance, write down messages, update appointment calendars, prepare travel vouchers, perform bookkeeping, word processing, file documents, collect parcels, and perform research over the Internet.

Secretaries input data into databases and manage the dissemination of this information. greet visitors and manage the scheduling of the board room or common conference area. Many receptionists work in salons and spas, greeting customers and booking appointments.

They also use computer software to create spreadsheets, compose messages, manage databases, and produce presentations, reports, and documents. They may negotiate with vendors, buy supplies, manage stockrooms or corporate libraries, and get data from various sources.

Finding a job as a secretary may prove to be easier than finding a highly specialized job. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive is the largest subcategory of secretaries and administrative assistants, according to the BLS. They handle an office's administrative activities in almost every sector of the economy, including schools, government agencies, and private corporations. Therefore there is an abundance of these jobs in all industries.

After determining the duties of a secretary, the job seeker will want to start looking at jobs online. Try general job boards or more niche-specific job boards. You can also look at company career sites. Try a search for 'secretary.' You can also look under the category 'receptionist,' since these job titles can be interchangeable.

After searching, you'll most likely get a list showing several hundred results. Narrow this search by selecting only those that are in the geographical area you want to work in. You can further narrow the search by experience level, company, and salary.

After the search has been narrowed, you'll have a chunk of jobs that are relevant to your skillet. Now you can start applying. Be sure you read the instructions very carefully. Submit a cover letter and resume to each posting. If the job posting calls for an application, you'll want to answer all questions with honesty and integrity.

Now that your applications have been submitted, you'll want to keep a close eye out on your phone and email. Always call back a potential interviewer as soon as possible. When getting interview instructions, ensure you know exactly where the business is located. Arrive promptly, but not too early. You'll want to bring a copy of your updated resume and references.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner: A Career Overview

A psychiatric nurse practitioner or (PMH-NP) is a trained nurse who provides expert mental care for adult and child patients in a primary health care setting or in outpatient settings. The PMH-NP can carry out a range of duties without the supervision of a doctor.

Psychiatric nurse practitioners can diagnose mental conditions of adults and children, conduct therapy, and prescribe medications for their patients. They can diagnose and treat a range of medical conditions like psychiatric disorders, medical mental conditions, substance abuse disorders, learning disorders etc. The PMH-NP can also provide emergency psychiatric care for patients followed by crisis intervention and counseling.

These practitioners are licensed to make physical assessments, plan treatment and manage patient medication on their own. They can work independently in hospitals, clinics, schools, nursing homes, and run their own practice.

Education

Psychiatric nurse practitioners are post graduates with master's degrees in their fields. For example, a student must complete a four-year degree in nursing to get their BSN degree. Students may also complete a two-year associate degree or a three-year diploma in nursing to complete their BSN or RN degree. Once they have completed their BSN or RN degree, the student then has to apply to an accredited psychiatric nurse practitioner program. The psychiatric nurse practitioner program will provide additional training in psychological diseases, and management and administration of psychiatric medication. Most courses are for two years and result in a master's degree in nursing. Students will have to complete a supervised clinical rotation before they are certified as specialists in the field of child or adult psychiatric nursing. Students who opt for the master's degree will have to complete a one-year training program to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Once the student has completed the master's degree, they can also opt for additional certification to become a Doctor of Nursing in Psychiatric Nursing. Apart from full-time programs, there are quite a few accredited online programs that are also useful. For example, the University of Pittsburgh, Brandman University, and University of Cincinnati offer a range of online graduate and postgraduate degrees in psychiatric nursing which can be a boon for the working candidate. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League for Nursing are responsible for accrediting nursing programs in the U.S. Before choosing degrees and enrolling to study for them, students should check with the schools to find out about their current accreditation and licensing.

Licensing

Once the student has completed the psychiatric nursing degree, he or she will have to sit for state licensing exams. Each state has different degrees and titles that are awarded to psychiatric nurse practitioners. The candidate must submit an application to http://www.ncsbn.org to apply for licensing in the state they in which they are interested. There is a $200 fee that must be paid at the time of application. The association will mail exam details and test admission cards directly to the student at their specified address and other information to the mail ids provided by the applicant.

Being a psychiatric nurse is completely different from being a psychiatrists or social worker since PMH-NPs can work independently of doctors. They can prescribe medications and even treat patients in their own clinics. With the current boom in the healthcare industry, PMHs can expect that jobs will be plentiful in both private practices and in the public sector. These professionals receive impressive salaries for working in a demanding field. In addition to monetary compensation, the psychiatric nurse will have the satisfaction of knowing he or she can help troubled people who need psychiatric treatment.

The author has spent a lot of time learning about medical technicians and other related topics. Read more about pharmacy technicians at the author's website.