Category: Your Career (Page 51 of 62)

      Physician Assistant Jobs on the Rise

      January 26, 2011 /

      Physician_Assistant_Usethisone

      Physician assistants are in high demand and the trend is expected to continue through 2018. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for physician assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations—to the tune of 39 percent from 2008-2018. The healthcare industry is experiencing tremendous growth overall, accounting for 26 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. today. But like many other occupations in the healthcare industry, such as registered nurses and occupational therapists, physician assistants are right at the top of the list for job growth. 

       Physician assistant jobs are also ranked high on the pay scale—even for first-year graduates. Although income varies by specialty, location, years of experience, and geographical location, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ 2008 Census Report, median income for first-year graduates was an impressive $74,470. A recent Forbes article discussing the ‘best master’s degrees for jobs’ told the story of one graduate who switched careers in 2006, graduated from a two-year physician assistant master’s program at Duke University in 2008, and found a job as a physician assistant that paid more than triple his old salary as a teacher.

       Shane Tysinger graduated in 2008, in the middle of a recession, but says there were jobs everywhere for students in his graduating class. Today he works in an Eden, N.C. clinic that focuses on family medicine. His salary has more than tripled from his days as a teacher. “I found the career I was meant to do,” says Tysinger.

      In May 2008, the median annual wage for physician assistants was $81,320. The middle 50 percent earned between $68,210 and $97,070 and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,360. The top ten percent earned $110,240 per year.

      To become a physician assistant, you must complete a training program at an accredited school of allied health, academic health center, medical school, or four-year college. A few accredited training programs are available at community colleges, through the military, and at hospitals. As of 2008, there were 142 education programs for physician assistants accredited or provisionally accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. Eighty percent of these programs offered a master’s degree, 21 offered a bachelor’s degree, three awarded associate degrees, and five awarded a certificate.

      According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

      All States and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the practice of physician assistants. All jurisdictions require physician assistants to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and open only to graduates of accredited PA education programs.

      100 hours of continuing medical education every two years is mandatory in order to order to remain certified, plus successful completion of a re-certification examination every six years. 

      Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education

      Green Jobs Growing

      January 19, 2011 /

      Green Jobs_II

      The Bureau of Labor Statistics has two definitions for green jobs. A green job is one that produces goods or provides services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources. Green jobs are also jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. Green jobs can be found in industry sectors such as construction, natural resources and mining, public transportation, trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, public administration, education and health services, information, and professional and business services.

      The number of establishments in these sectors is close to 2.2 million, which means, the number of opportunities for aspiring green collar workers is promising. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, which discusses a study by Next 10, a San Mateo, Calif.-based independent research organization, the opportunities for green jobs are greatest in certain parts of California.

      The strongest growth in green jobs has been in the San Francisco Bay area, with 109% growth since 1995, the study said. The region is home to 28% of the jobs in the sector. Second in that statistic is the Sacramento area, where green jobs grew by 103%. In Los Angeles, green employment is up by just 20% since 1995, but it still comprises 23% of the sector’s jobs in the state.

      As of 2010, there were more than 890,000 green jobs across the U.S. By 2015, this figure is expected to grow to nearly 1.4 million. This growth represents a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.2% between 2010-2015. It is important to note that these figures do not include the renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries, which represented 9 million jobs and $1,045 billion in U.S. revenue in 2007. The renewable energy industry grew three times as fast as the U.S. economy with 25%+ annual revenue growth in the solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel, and ethanol sectors.

       If you are interested in a green collar job, read How to Land a Green Collar Job: 15 ways to rev up for a job that’s good for the environment, fills your wallet, and makes a difference by The American Solar Energy Society.

      Your Business, Your Career

      Four Ways To Make A Great Impression On Your Next Job Application

      January 19, 2011 /

      Too many young job seekers do not put enough thought and energy into preparing for a job interview. There are too many people currently looking for a job. You have to be memorable and standout from the crowd. If you have been struggling in job interview after job interview, there are a few things that you can do to help ensure that you will stand above the rest of the crowd on the next interview.

      Four Ways To Stand Out Before Your Next Interview…

    • Spruce Up Your Resume. Many people have not looked at their resume in years, and others have thrown it together after learning about the job interview. Like many business owners who say that you have to spend money to make money, paying for a resume consultant to clean up your resume and cover letter can pay dividends when you are looking for a new job. A professional resume writer knows exactly what style, format, and language human resource experts are looking for in today’s market.

    • Do Your Research. Like a good investor, you should research the company you are interviewing with for a job. You should know what they do, who their competitors are, what they company does well, and what it may need to improve on. You should know a little something about the company that you want to work for before you set one foot in the interview room. Doing a quick search on Google, looking at the company’s website, and reading as many articles you can about the business and its industry will set you apart from the rest of the applicants.

    • Get Some Coaching. A golf pro does not go out to the course without a few lessons along the way. Even Tiger Woods has a golf coach. You should consider taking some lessons from an interview coach. An interview coach can help make sure that you are prepared for the questions that will be peppered at you, look presentable, have the proper poise, and are well spoken. Also, if you get nervous and are intimidated at speaking in a public setting such as an interview, you may want to consider practicing public speaking through organizations such as Toast Masters International.

    • Pay Off Your Debt. Many young college graduates just entering the workforce do not realize that their new employers often check their credit report before offering them a job. In fact, 47% of employers pull an applicant’s credit report before hiring a potential new employee. Even the United States military checks credit reports before issuing a security clearance to its service members. Paying off some debt before you apply to your dream job can help boost your credit score.

      • Finally, follow up your interview with a thank you note or call to the person who interviewed you. It is such a simple thing to do and so often overlooked. A personal touch such as this will show that you are very serious about landing the job and will set you apart from all of the other applicants.

      Your Career

      Ride the Retail Wave While you Wait for Dream Job

      January 18, 2011 /

      Macys_Stockings_Dept

      Ok, so a retail job isn’t what you had in mind after graduating with a degree in accounting, but you have to make ends meet while you wait for Deloitte & Touche to call. Fortunately, according to Indeed.com, you won’t have to look for a temporary job for too long if you look to the retail Industry. Right now, retailers are in search of 400,000 employees to fill both full and part-time positions. These retail positions just are not just available at clothing stores. Retail is a broad term that covers the selling of just about any type of good or commodity. This means, retail job seekers will find positions in places ranging from Macy’s to Whole Foods to wax museums to automobile dealerships. 

      If you’re interested in a long-term retail career, you’re in luck because this trend is expected to continue. Retail careers are among the top thirty occupations with the largest employment growth for 2008-18. The following are projection figures (in thousands):

      Employment 2008: 4,489
      Employment 2018: 4,864
      Change: 8.4%

      Regarding salary, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that:

      Median hourly wages of wage-and-salary retail salespersons, including commissions, were $9.86 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.26 and $13.35 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.37, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $19.14 an hour. Many beginning or inexperienced workers earn the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, but many States set minimum wages higher than the Federal minimum. In areas where employers have difficulty attracting and retaining workers, wages tend to be higher than the legislated minimum.

      Compensation systems can vary by type of establishment and merchandise sold. Salespersons receive hourly wages, commissions, or a combination of the two. Under a commission system, salespersons receive a percentage of the sales they make. This system offers sales workers the opportunity to increase their earnings considerably, but they may find that their earnings depend strongly on their ability to sell their product and on the ups and downs of the economy.

      Benefits may be limited in smaller stores, but benefits in large establishments usually are considerable. In addition, nearly all salespersons are able to buy their store’s merchandise at a discount, with the savings depending on the type of merchandise. Also, to bolster revenue, employers may use incentive programs such as awards, bonuses, and profit-sharing plans to the sales staff.

      To break into the retail industry, experience helps, but most employers are willing to train the right person on-the-job. To begin your job search, visit Indeed.com.

      Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education, Your Team, Your Workplace

      100,000 IT Jobs Gained in 2010

      January 14, 2011 /

      Information Technology

      When it came to employment, the IT industry ended 2010 with a bang by adding 3,500 jobs in December. This represents the 13th consecutive monthly increase for IT employment.

      According to a monthly index of IT jobs developed and published by TechServe Alliance, a collaboration of IT services firms, clients, consultants and suppliers, in December, IT employment stood at 3,911,900  jobs; reflecting incremental growth of 0.1 percent. Along with December’s positive news were upward revisions of both October’s and November’s IT employment numbers. On a year-over-year basis, IT employment was up 2.6 percent, approximately 100,000 jobs, compared to only a 0.9 percent increase in total non-farm employment.

      Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe Alliance mentions that the industry has not yet gained all of the jobs back that were lost during the economic downturn, but gaining 100,000 IT jobs in 2010 is “most welcome news.” This is also great news for graduates and anyone entering college with their eye on establishing a career in the IT industry.

      So what does it take to get your foot in the door at one of the nation’s top IT firms? A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for most IT positions, no matter where you apply. For management positions, most employers require a graduate degree, specifically an MBA with a technology focus. Common majors for undergraduates include management information systems (MIS), computer science, or information science. Job experience through an internship or other IT position is also required.

      While IT employment is expected to grow overall, some career fields within the IT industry are expected to grow faster than others. For example, employment for “computer and information systems managers” is expected to grow by 17 percent for the 2008-2018 decade while employment for “computer software engineers and computer programmers” is expected to grow by an impressive 21 percent. Even better is “computer network, systems, and database administrators” at 23 percent.

      IT salaries are at an all-time high as well. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. IT professionals can expect to earn an average median salary of anywhere from $69,740 on the low end, up to $112,210+ per year on the high end.

      Image Credit

      Information Technology Services of Cabarrus County, NC
      www.cabarruscounty.us/ITS

      Your Business, Your Career, Your Compensation, Your Education, Your Workplace

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 Professional Journey

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑