I came across a interesting article recently. It listed 5 careers where you can complete the training in less than a year.
#1 - Medical Assistant
Your responsibilities include administrative and clinical tasks,
such as making appointments and taking a patent's vital signs.
Medical assisting positions are expected to grow in the next few years,
so there are a lot of opportunities in this field.
A certificate or diploma in medical assisting could give you a basic knowledge of medical terminology, procedures, and record keeping. Programs take about one year to complete, depending on your course load. The annual salary for a medical assistant is around 30-40,000 per year.
#2 - Dental Assistant
Dental assistants work with the dentist to perform a broad range
of duties, including administrative tasks, patient care, and laboratory
responsibilities.
Dental assisting is one of the fastest growing careers in the country.
Dental assistant programs vary, but can be completed in about a year,
with an average annual salary of about $35,000.
#3 - Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Paralegals now do many of the tasks originally performed by lawyers.
On any given day a paralegal could find themselves interviewing clients,
preparing documents for trial, researching laws,
or scheduling court dates.
Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow by 28% annually over the next few years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A degree can be completed in about a year.
A career as a paralegal can be financially rewarding. The average annual income for a paralegal is around $50,000, with the highest earners in the field averaging over $70,000.
#4 - Administrative Assistant
A typical day for office administrators could involve filing documents,
scheduling meetings, managing supplies, and ordering lunch.
A certificate program in office administration could help you develop basic office skills in about one year - depending on your program and course load.
The average annual salary for an administrative assistant is $32,000.
#5 - Pharmacy Technician:
As a pharmacy technician, you might deal with patient information,
process prescriptions, and count and accurately label medications.
This career field is expecting explosive growth in the next few years.
A pharmacy technician certificate program generally covers medical and pharmaceutical terminology and could take as little as six months to complete, depending on your course load.
Pharmacy technicians have an average salary of $30,000.
On a final note, try checking with your local college, or technical school. Go and talk to the guidance counselor about available programs.
Locally, I recently came across a machinist tech program that will train you in as little as 90 days. The local college will also help with placing you in a job upon completion of the program. Financial help is available also. I discovered that even though I work a full time job, I can qualify for assistance if I applied to this program.
It will cost you nothing to get your local college or tech school syllabus and review classes and degrees. Google programs online. Don't think you don't qualify for assistance either. 80% of students in higher education receive some sort of help.
Get started today, and a year from now you could be working in a new career field you enjoy.
