During times of a major economic downturn many people decide to change their career. Usually a major career change will require that you go back to school. Going back to school can be a tough decision especially if you have already started your career. To help decide which career type you should follow we have created a list of careers that are best suited for each of the 16 Myers Briggs personality types.

ESTJ

Military, business administrators, managers, police/detective work, judges, financial officers, teachers, sales representatives, government workers, insurance agents, underwriters, nursing administrators, trade and technical teachers, mafia dons. Natural leaders, they work best when they are in charge and enforcing the rules.

ISTJ

Business executives, administrators and managers, accountants, police, detectives, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, dentists, computer programmers, systems analysts, computer specialists, auditors, electricians, math teachers, mechanical engineers, steelworkers, technicians, militia members. Similar to the ESTJ, they have a knack for detail and memorization, but work more behind the scenes instead of up front as a leader.

ESFJ

Home economics, nursing, teaching, administrators, child care, family practice physician, clergy, office managers, counselers, social workers, bookkeeping, accounting, secretaries, organization

leaders, dental assistants, homemakers, radiological technologists, receptionists, religious educators, speech pathologists.. They do best in jobs where they can apply their natural warmth at building relationships with other people.

ISFJ

Interior decorators, designers, nurses, administrators, managers, secretaries, child care/early childhood development, social work, counselors, paralegals, clergy, office managers, shopkeepers,

bookkeepers, homemakers, gardeners, clerical supervisors, curators, family practice physicians, health service workers, librarians, medical technologists, typists. Tradition-oriented and down-to-earth, they do best in jobs where they can help people achieve their goals, or where structure is needed.

ESTP

Sales representatives, marketers, police, detectives, paramedics, medical technicians, computer technicians, computer technical support, entrepreneurs, comedians, agents, race car drivers,

firefighters, military, loan sharks, con men, auditors, carpenters, craft workers, farmers, laborers, service workers, transportation operatives. They have a gift for reacting to and solving immediate problems, and persuading other people.

ISTP

Police, detectives, forensic pathologists, computer programmers, system analysts, computer specialists, engineers, carpenters, mechanics, pilots, drivers, athletes, entrepreneurs, firefighters,

paramedics, construction workers, dental hygienists, electrical engineers, farmers, military, probation officers, steelworkers, transportation operatives, hit men. With the ability to stay calm

under pressure, they excel in any job which requires immediate action.

ESFP

Actors, painters, comedians, adult entertainers, sales representatives, teachers, counselors, social workers, child care, fashion designers, interior decorators, consultants, photographers,

musicians, human resources managers, clerical supervisors, coaches, factory supervisors, food service workers, receptionists, recreation workers, religious educators, respiratory therapists.. Optimistic and fun-loving, their enthusiasm is great for motivating others.

ISFP

Artists, musicians, composers, designers, child care workers, social workers, counselers, teachers, veterinarians, forest rangers, naturalists, bookkeepers, carpenters, personal service workers,

clerical supervisors, secretaries, dental and medical staffers, waiters and waitresses, chefs, nurses, mechanics, physical therapists, x-ray technicians. They tend to do well in the arts, as well as helping others and working with people.

ENFJ

Teachers, consultants, psychiatrists, social workers, counselers, clergy, sales representative, human resources, managers, events coordinators, politicians, diplomats, writers, actors, designers,

homemakers, musicians, religious workers, writers. They have a gift of encouraging others actualize themselves, and provide excellent leadership.

INFJ

Counselers, clergy, missionaries, teachers, medical doctors, dentists, chiropractors, psychologists, psychiatrists, writers, musicians, artists, psychics, photographers, child care workers, education consultants, librarians, marketeers, scientists, social workers.. Blessed with an idealistic vision, they do best when they seek to make that vision a reality.

ENFP

Actors, journalists, writers, musicians, painters, consultants, psychologists, psychiatrists, entrepreneurs, teachers, counselors, politicians, diplomats, television reporters, marketers,

scientists, sales representatives, artists, clergy, public relations, social scientists, social workers.. Very creative and fun-loving, they excel at careers which allow them to express their ideas and spontaneity.

INFP

Writers, artists, counselors, social workers, English teachers, fine arts teachers, child care workers, clergy, missionaries, psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, political activists, editors, education consultants, journalists, religious educators, social scientists.. Driven by a strong sense of personal values, they are also highly creative and can offer support from behind the scenes.

ENTJ

Business executives, CEOs, organization founders, business administrators, managers, entrepreneurs, judges, lawyers, computer consultants, university professors, politicians, credit investigators, labor relations worker, marketing department manager, mortgage banker, systems analysts, scientists. They are born to lead and can steer the organization towards their vision, using their excellent organizing and understanding of what needs to get done.

INTJ –

Scientists, engineers, professors, teachers, medical doctors, dentists, corporate strategists, organization founders, business administrators, managers, military, lawyers, judges, computer

programmers, system analysts, computer specialists, psychologists, photographers, research department managers, researchers, university instructors, chess players. They have a particular skill at grasping difficult, complex concepts and building strategies.

ENTP

Entrepreneurs, lawyers, psychologists, photographers, consultants, sales representatives, actors, engineers, scientists, inventors, marketers, computer programmers, comedians, computer analysts,

credit investigators, journalists, psychiatrists, public relations, designers, writers, artists, musicians, politicians. Very freedom-oriented, they need a career which allows them to act independent and express their creativity and insight.

INTP

Physicists, chemists, biologists, photographers, strategic planners, mathematicians, university professors, computer programmers, computer animators, technical writers, engineers, lawyers, forensic researchers, writers, artists, psychologists, social scientists, systems analysts, researchers, surveyors. Highly analytical, they can discover connections between two seemingly unrelated things, and work best when allowed to use their imagination and critical thinking.

1. What types of clients does the career coach usually work with?

If you’re a recent college graduate, although it may be tempting to meet with an executive coach because you want to be an executive, it may not be the best advice for this point in your career. If you’re coming out of the military and entering the private sector, you should look for a coach who specializes in military-to-civilian or military-to-contractor transitions. Finding someone who “speaks your language” and has helped others in similar situations is key to developing a productive relationship with a career coach.

2. Does the career coach offer a free consultation?

A free consultation will help you get a better sense of your chemistry with a career coach. It’s not all about qualifications (though they’re certainly important, too!) – it’s also about finding someone who you feel comfortable talking to… After you have a consult, you should come away with some clear ideas on the types of things you would work on with the coach and an idea of that coach’s methodologies. Some coaches rely heavily on assessments and tests, while others focus more on building a rapport. Do you want a coach who thinks spirituality is an important part of your career path? Do you want a coach who is more of a listener than an advice-giver? Do you want a coach who is the same gender or age as you are? There are no “right” answers – it’s about finding a fit.

3. What are the coach’s credentials?

Career coaching is still an unregulated field – and having a certification is no guarantee of competence, but a committed career coach isn’t just winging it – this is a profession that requires a lot of study and practice. Having studied with a well-respected institution such as the Career Planning & Adult Development Network is a good sign that a coach has been exposed to well-accepted methodologies in the industry. An established career coach should have no problems telling you what her credentials are and where they are from. Again, different clients are looking for different things from their career coach – if your main concern is conducting a job search, finding someone with expertise in recruiting, resumes, and interviewing might be a good idea. If your main goal is to move up within your current place of employment, you may want to find someone who has a strong background in human resources and staff development.

If you’ve watched television in the past thirty years, you’re bound to know a little something about Oprah Winfrey. After all, she is one of the most easily recognizable faces in the world, thanks to her long-running daytime talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” At one time, her show was watched by 40 million Americans each week. Although she kept us informed, made us cry, and gave us a few laughs over the two and a half decades of her stint as a talk-show host, Oprah is more than just a sounding board for the issues of our time. She’s also a talented actress whose acting career began almost simultaneously with her career as America’s most beloved queen of daytime TV.

It was at the same time that Oprah gained a national audience with her talk show that she also garnered the attention of the nation by playing the role of Sofia in 1985’s “The Color Purple,” a movie that was adapted from a novel by Alice Walker. Her fledgling performance in this Steven Spielberg film won her nominations for both a Golden Globe Award and Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. Oprah’s freshman performance in this film alongside such greats as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover is considered by many to be among her best.

The following year, Oprah starred in her second role in film, appearing alongside Elizabeth McGovern and Matt Dillon in “Native Son,” a film that received some critical acclaim. The story is set in 1940s Chicago and follows a series of events centering around an African-American chauffer who accidentally kills the daughter of his employer and then tries to cover it up to avoid an unfair trial.

Oprah’s love of the silver screen and acting itself caused her to form her own production company, Harpo Productions, in 1986. The production company would eventually buy “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and remains formidable even today. Harpo would produce a TV miniseries in 1987 that was quite well received, “The Women of Brewster Place,” which starred and was executive produced by Oprah. Oprah would also star in and produce two TV movies from Harpo, including 1993’s “There Are No Children Here” and 1997’s “Before Women Had Wings.”

Harpo Productions would be behind Oprah’s next role in 1998’s “Beloved,” a movie based on one of Oprah’s favorite Toni Morrison novels. In “Beloved,” Oprah would reunite with her “The Color Purple” costar, Danny Glover. The movie was a flop at the box office, premiering the same weekend as “Bride of Chucky,” an anticipated addition to the “Child’s Play” series of horror movies. Oprah would go on to say that the failure of “Beloved” was one of the worst moments of her career and has stated it caused her to become majorly depressed. Nonetheless, Oprah was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture by the NAACP Image Awards for her performance in the film.

Oprah has also seen some success in voiceover performances for some of the most beloved children’s films of our time, including her voice performance as Gussie the Goose in the 2006 animated adaptation of “Charlotte’s Web.” She would go on to voice the judge in the Benson vs. the World case in 2007’s “Bee Movie.” Her third voiceover deal came as Eudora, Princess Tiana’s mother in 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog.”

Oprah’s love of acting spills over into producing great works, too. Two decades after establishing herself nationally, Oprah still devoted much of her time to television and film production, producing a 2005 film adaptation of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” based on the Zora Neale Hurston book. Also in 2005, she produced a musical Broadway production of “The Color Purple.” It was her love of production that led her to launch her own television network, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), in 2011.

Oprah was once referred to as the most powerful woman in the world and is the richest self-made woman in the US as well as the wealthiest 20th-century African-American, male or female. In 1995, she became the first and only woman and only African-American to be listed on the Forbes 400, and she was also listed as the world’s sole black billionaire. She owes all of this success to her diverse set of skills that has made her a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. Oprah Winfrey is a woman of many talents. From talk-show host extraordinaire with several Daytime Emmy wins under her belt to actress to television and movie producer to television network owner, Oprah’s remarkable career is incredibly diverse, and we can only expect more good things from her going forward.

Are you a career changer? Or, are you satisfied with your stable career but interested in updating your resume? Are you a professional who has tried different things but are still searching for the kind of work that best suits you? Whatever your career situation, what your resume most needs is a stellar career summary.

What difference can a career summary make for you? Here are 4 reasons why you need one in your resume:

1.) A career summary communicates more about you and does so more powerfully than an objective statement.

2.) Employers love career summaries and use them to preview your resume. If they like your summary, they’re more likely to read your whole resume.

3.) A summary does a superlative job of masking weaknesses in your work history (too much experience, too little, too many different kinds of jobs, gaps in employment, ineffectual titles, and everything else you can think of)

4.) A career summary tells the employer what you most want them to know, up front. It therefore sells you well and sets you up to be asked the kinds of interview questions you really want to be asked.

All right, so a career summary is a good thing. What does it look like? A summary can be a short paragraph of 2-4 sentences or a brief phrase or sentence introducing a series of 4-8 bullets, depending on the communications style you prefer. It can be preceded by a job title or list of specialty areas that you wish to highlight. The summary always goes at the top of the resume immediately following your name and contact information.

Generally a good career summary will profile some mixture of the following kinds of critical details:

• A brief overview of the breadth and scope of your experience
• Academic credentials, if relevant
• 3-5 skillsets that set you apart from the competition
• 3-5 personality characteristics that describe the workplace you
• Hints about your most important work-related values.

Okay, so all that sounds good, but what does a career summary look like? Here are two different versions of a summary that you can play with and make your own:

Career and Workforce Development Administrator

Coaching … Training & Development … Program Design

Seasoned, articulate and visionary professional with over 19 years’ experience in all facets of career and workforce development in both corporate and social service settings. Possess outstanding verbal, written and interpersonal communications skills and an inherent ability to build effective and cohesive teams. Deeply value creativity and lifelong learning.

Seasoned, articulate and visionary professional with over 19 years’ proven experience in:

• Career Development
• Workforce Development
• Corporate Consulting
• Social Service Delivery
• Team Building
• Program Design
• Lifelong Learning
• Communications

The key is to begin by brainstorming solid content. Choose your descriptive language carefully. Make every word count. Create content first; write a draft second. Then share your draft with others you trust before finalizing it for your resume.

Disruptions. Unforeseen events. Misguided strategies. All of these are possible for businesses and also for careers. In 2020, we don’t have to look very far in the past to see how the best laid business and career plans can go awry due to a surprising and unpredicted event. We could conclude, well that’s life. No one ever guaranteed us long-term certainty. This is true. Unannounced and unintended curve balls are part of life’s churn, but that doesn’t mean we can’t proactively prepare for sudden changes and develop an agility which may result in competitive advantages and success despite perturbations.

Many of us still operate by a model which views the most difficult parts of executing a career as first determining which career path to follow, followed by education and training, landing the great job, retaining employment, and staying current with best practices. As important as these features are I would encourage the addition of at least one more – enhancing your ability to foretell where your career may be headed and what hazards may ambush your planning.

With regard to our careers, it is wise to allocate time and energy to a style of future planning which embeds intentional forecasting of trends and movements that carry the potential for threat and disruption. Although no one can definitively predict the future, by practicing the formation of projections over time we can hone our capacity to more accurately make predictions, test our hypotheses, and peer ever deeper into what makes our professions tick. Sharpening our prognostication skill could be the difference between thriving or losing in today’s turbulent economy.

Preparing for the future requires at the outset a shift in attitude and a challenging of our assumptions. Here are some basic conjectures I encourage shaking up. The good times don’t roll forever. Luck can only carry you just so far. The world is more dynamic than static. That said, alter the way you plan for tomorrow. Future planning should not be confined to assessing the present and then looking forward. Rather, determine as best one can the most likely future perception and plan backwards from there.

Interpreting the future is a matter of creating a vision. This vision displays greater resolution the more in-depth is our knowledge of our profession, including the proclivities of markets and customers. Vision is not certitude, but an estimation of what is possible. The more we know the closer we get to refining our analysis. Therefore, structured ongoing learning is the core activity to practice. By looking at every angle of our profession, including the influences and disorders impacting our lines of work along with practice in making and reviewing our predictions we better prepare ourselves for forecasting. Opportunities will always be out there. Become your own agent of change and a magnet for locating these possibilities.

Smart organizations deploy a strategic method known as scenario planning. It involves forecasting and integrating a large degree of flexibility into long-term planning. Scenario planning assumes adaptation is necessary for survival. The same mindset applies to our careers. In general, this process involves merging known facts about the future, such as demographics, geographic limitations, cultural characteristics, government structures, etc. with social, economic, political, technical, and environmental trends. From this blend we can formulate simulations that function as prototype strategies. For example, is it feasible to think climate related disruptions may manifest in novel ways over the next three decades prompting potentially sudden market fluctuations? Are you confident the U.S. has learned its lesson about pandemic preparedness and is ready for the next such assault?

Developing a heuristic approach to prepare for uncertainty may very well be the necessary system to best weather whatever the future is going to throw at us next.

Since 1960s, career cluster resources have been used as career exploration and planning tools in schools, learning communities, and organizations across the nation. Career Clusters is a system that matches educational and career planning.

Step 1: Identifying Career Cluster Interest Areas

Career clusters are groups of similar occupations and industries. When teachers, counselors, and parents work with teens, college students, and adults, the first step is to complete career cluster assessment. The assessment identifies the highest career cluster areas. Career assessments show teens, college students, and adults rankings from one of the following 16 Interests Areas or Clusters:

1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

2. Architecture & Construction

3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication

4. Business, Management & Administration

5. Education & Training

6. Finance

7. Government & Public Administration

8. Health Science

9. Hospitality & Tourism

10. Human Services

11. Information Technology

12. Law, Public Safety & Security

13. Manufacturing

14. Marketing, Sales & Service

15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Step 2: Exploring Career Clusters and Related Careers

After pinpointing the highest career clusters, teens, college students, and adults explore the different careers and create education plans. Career cluster tools used in career and educational planning include:

• LISA: A comprehensive career cluster database
• Models
• Brochures
• Pathways
• High school plan of study
• Interest and Skills Areas
• Crosswalks

After completing a career cluster assessment, teens, college students, and adults look at web sites, career models, brochures, pathways, and high school plans. One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. There are 3 steps in the LISA program:

STEP 1: Click here to select a Career Cluster

STEP 2: Click here to select a Career Group

STEP 3: Explore Occupations within this Career Group

In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will see a description of the cluster. When you select a career group in Step 2, you see different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see a wealth of information:

• Job descriptions
• Educational and training requirements
• Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Labor Market Information

Even though LISA is an awesome program, in classroom or workshop settings, you need printed materials. When using printed materials, the career model is the best place to start. Models provide excellent overviews listing the cluster definitions, sample careers, pathways, knowledge, and skills. Visual models show career clusters, the cluster subgroups, and related careers. Models are an excellent way to introduce career clusters.

For presentations, workshops, and group discussions, the career cluster brochures provide additional information. Adults and teens read about the different careers that are available in each career cluster. Teachers, counselors, and parents use the brochures to solidify adults’ and teens’ potential career or educational decisions. The brochures cover topics such as:

• Definition of career clusters
• Careers
• Career pathways
• Employment outlooks
• Skills
• Credentials

Teachers, counselors, and parents use career pathways for more detailed information. The career pathways are subgroups or areas of concentration within career clusters. Each pathway contains career groups. The career groups have similar academic skills, technical skills, educational requirements, and training requirements. Career pathways are plans of study that outline required secondary courses, post secondary courses, and related careers. The career pathways are essential tools that teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults use to give educational planning advice.

Several web sites feature High School Plans of Study. These study plans show required, elective, and suggested courses for each grade level. The school plans also match the career clusters to related careers, career pathways, and post-secondary options. Teachers, counselors, and parents find that these school plans are guides for selecting the right high school courses to match potential careers. Beyond high school, the Utah System for Higher Education has created a College Major Guide. Parents, teachers, and counselors can use the guide to match college majors to Certificate and Degree Programs.

Additional Resources for Counselors and Teachers

For planning curriculum and educational programs, there are detailed Knowledge and Skills Charts and Cluster Crosswalks. The knowledge and Skills expand upon the information listed on the career cluster models. For each knowledge and skill area, there are performance elements and measurement criteria. Crosswalks show the relationships between career clusters and other career models:

Career clusters build a bridge between education and career planning. Different types of career cluster resources are available: videos, web sites, booklets, brochures, activity sheets, and workbooks. Teachers, counselors, and parents use career cluster resources to successfully complete career and educational planning.

Resources:

American Careers Career Paths, Career Communications, 6701 W. 64th St., Overland, KS 66202, 800-669-7795

Career Click, Illinois Department of Employment Security,33 South State Street, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 793-5700

CIP Code Index by Career Cluster, Adult & Postsecondary CTE Division, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126, (717) 772-0814

Cluster and Career Videos, Career One Stop, U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210, 866-4-USA-DOL

College Major Guide Utah System for Higher Education, Board of Regents Building, The Gateway, 60 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1284, (801) 321-7100

Find Careers (Videos), iSeek Solutions, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Wells Fargo Place, 30 7th St. E., Suite 350, St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

High School Plans of Study, New Hampshire Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301-3860, (603) 271-3494

Introduction to Career Clusters, Career Education, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, P.O. Box 543

Blacklick, OH 43004-0544,

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), customized Internet version of OSCAR, a product of the Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources, TWC/CDR, Austin, TX 78753

Maryland Career Clusters, Maryland State Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201,

Rhodes Island’s Career Clusters, Rhode Island’s Career Resource Network, 1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-8790

School to Career Clusters, State of Connecticut, Department of Labor, Job Bank, 645 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457, (860)754-5000

States’ Career Clusters Initiative (SCCI), 1500 W. Seventh Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074

Career Pathway Plans, Career Cluster, Knowledge and Skills Charts

VTECS Cluster Frameworks, VTECS, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033,404-679-4501 ext 543

What are Career Clusters? Career Prospects System, New Mexico Career Resource Network, CAREER TECHNICAL AND WORKFORCE EDUCATION BUREAU (CTWEB), Education Building, 300 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 827-6512

Selecting a career path that is both effective and satisfying is one of the most important decisions a person makes in their entire life. However, young people are facing this choice at a time when their self-understanding and awareness of the world of work is very meagre. In the best-case scenario, adolescents discuss these issues with their parents who can help them move through the decision process and provide them with important information. Yet it is often difficult for parents to understand the specific personal qualities of their child and to match them with viable occupations. This important decision requires a process which involves self-analysis, formulation of personal values and goals, realization of educational and professional requirements and an all-around analysis of specific careers that have been suggested based on the above information.

Figuring out a career path early on has become increasingly important. Parents are turning to career counselling services for their teens, sometimes as young as 14, to help give their kids a career reality check and to figure out which academic areas they should focus on.

Tough economic times, the rapidly changing job market, and the skyrocketing cost of post-secondary education has put pressure on many parents to help their kids figure out career goals, so they do not waste their time and money on education program that might not suit them.

There are many options today for career counselling. One can get some basic career advice from a school’s guidance counsellor, online from a career counselling website such careerpath.com, from an individual assessment with a professional career counselling coach, or from a comprehensive assessment conducted by a psychologist. Some of these options are free, while others are relatively expensive. For example, a full career assessment by a psychologist costs anywhere between $800 and $1500. However, psychological assessments are often covered by extended medical insurance plans. Even if these amounts aren’t covered by your insurance, this may be the best investment you ever make in your own or your child’s future, just consider the cost of post-secondary education and wasted income in case you make the wrong choice.

The goal of career assessment is not to choose one specific profession but rather to identify two or three general areas and to highlight the educational path that leads to each of them. This usually creates a sense of purpose and confidence as people can now visualize their future and the roads that lead to it. Most people report an increased feeling of ownership and self-efficacy following career counselling.

Despite the increased attention to career education in our schools, we find that adolescents are very poorly informed about the world of work and have little understanding of how to create a viable career plan for themselves. This often leads to anxiety, confusion, and avoidance of all efforts to deal with the issue when it is approached by parents.

The most effective career counselling approach is the one that integrates information obtained from formal psychological tests with in-depth individual interviews with the counsellor. The formal testing must include a measure of the student’s aptitudes for different types of learning or a test of cognitive ability, a formal assessment of their personality, and an occupational interest survey. An in-depth discussion with the psychologist or counsellor allows the student to make sense of the information obtained through formal testing and to analyze the suggested choices. We believe that the student’s unique personality, their special gifts and talents, as well as their interests and aspirations should be the starting point. Through this process of self-exploration, students become active participants in planning their future, and together with the counsellor, they begin to understand how their unique profiles map to the range of today’s professions and occupations. You can read here about the comprehensive career counselling system that we use in our center. Psychological assessment-based career counselling services can be provided by psychologists, professional career counsellors, and social workers trained to provide such services.

If you are a high school graduate, you may be looking at the next step in your life. You might not know what career path to take, or maybe you have already decided on one but want to learn more about it. Healthcare is an exciting field with many options for graduates. In this article, we will talk about five different healthcare careers that are perfect for recent high school graduates, all of which offer great benefits and promising futures.

1. Medical Billing & Coding Specialist

Medical billing and coding is a great option for high school graduates who are interested in pursuing healthcare while working with numbers. This career involves using medical records to bill insurance companies, government programs, patients, or other organizations for health care services.

A large percentage of the population has some form of insurance coverage that makes medical billing an extremely relevant job field. Most employers prefer candidates who have had training through vocational schools or community colleges. Once you receive your certification it’s possible to get hired quickly depending on where you live and what job opportunities are available at the moment.

2. Front Desk Receptionist

In this career, you will be the first person that patients see when they arrive at a doctor’s office or medical center. Front desk receptionists greet and register patients as well as schedule appointments. This is an excellent job for high school graduates who are looking to enter into healthcare but may not have much experience yet.

As long as you can work hard and learn quickly then it won’t take long before employers come calling. Front desk jobs often lead to higher-paid careers within hospitals so consider applying as soon as possible if you want these higher-paying jobs in the future.

Since most people already have health insurance coverage there is always going to be a need for front desk staff which means lots of opportunities around the United States.

3. Medical Assistant

Medical assistants are an important part of the healthcare field. They work with patients, doctors, and nurses to help keep the office running smoothly. Some common duties for medical assistants include measuring vital signs, drawing blood, and administering injections. This is another great career option for high school graduates who want to enter into healthcare but may not have experience just yet.

4. Physical Therapy Aids

Physical therapy aides are another great option for high school graduates who want to break into the healthcare field. They work under licensed physical therapists and help patients recover from injuries or illnesses by guiding them through various exercises and other treatments.

This career requires a strong interest in working with people as well as knowing what it takes to stay healthy and fit, which is always helpful when you’re trying to enter any workplace.

5. Phlebotomists

Phlebotomists are the people who draw blood from patients for testing purposes. They work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and research labs collecting samples that need to be tested.

This career requires a good understanding of biology as well as steady hands which makes it perfect for high school graduates looking to get their foot in the door of healthcare without any prior experience.

Ready to Pursue a Career in Healthcare?

As you can see, there are several healthcare careers you can pursue with just a high school diploma. With training and hard work, achieving any of these careers is a reachable goal.

Many of us are facing the many challenges encountered while going through life and our highly evolving environment. In my case just like millions of employees around the world, finally reached the midlife age stage and continuously face a very complex social and economic environment.

After a long-life career in the Lending industry I realize that never my experience and knowledge have been so sharp; today I can say that I’m at the top of my game. Due to my current business activities as a Freelance Senior Underwriter and Business consultant I’m continuously retained by Lenders, Private Investors, Entrepreneurs and Realtor/Brokers which allows me to gauge my level of knowledge and experience when my clients request my services to develop very complex projects.

You may be wondering how all of the above relates to the title of my article and here is the answer.

There are many valuable and productive people out there, many of them find themselves working for minimum wage salaries or doing jobs nobody else wants. But they all have one thing in common:

They are at the top of their game! The experience and knowledge they have gained overtime makes them a valuable asset for any organization “willing” to acknowledge their potential and true value.

The cold truth is that most organizations have inexperienced people running their Human Resources departments and many times their internal policies avoid older people under the false assumption that their ability to be productive will be compromised due to their age.

So my inspiration to write this article was this group of people who are in their Midlife career stage and are eager to find some sort of opportunity to leverage their knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, there are not many opportunities out there.

Over 16 years ago I met David M. a former director of a Commercial Mortgage Banker based in Houston. I was recovering form a back injury and my doctor advised a career change was necessary due to my new limitations. At some point during an informal phone conversation I mentioned to David my situation and my obvious concerns. After exchanging different ideas he asked me if I would be willing to learn the basics on Commercial Loans and Business Finance. I said yes and today I know it was the best decision I ever made.

I found in the lending industry a life changing career opportunity and today after almost 17 years still enjoy the rewards of a highly productive professional activity.

The many benefits and rewards I have received over these many years inspired me to share my experience and knowledge. So I developed a simple tool that any person, even those with no previous experience or knowledge in the Lending industry can easily learn the basics of Commercial Real Estate Finance and start a productive and rewarding career change. My publication can be found in Amazon books under the title “Commercial Real Estate Finance: Training for Newbies.”

Maybe some of you are wondering if a Mid Life career change is Madness or a Promising Opportunity: Well the difference is if you don’t do anything to improve your life or if you decide to take a few steps further and decide to pursue a Promising Opportunity. Stay away from Sales and multilevel schemes that will never get you anywhere.

If you feel like you are willing to give it a try, maybe you can consider the Lending industry as a legit source of income and a tangible career change opportunity.

It worked for me and if you have the determination and discipline to reach your personal goals, this is a great option.

Bottom line: Is never to late! Your life can improve and the opportunities are out there, you just need to go get them.

Be blessed and I wish you a great success!

Career development is considered by many to be an integral part and parcel of anyone’s training who fathoms her- or himself as going into business. It used to be the case that young people used to graduate from school, take an entry-level position with a company, and then over the years rise through the ranks and eventually retire from that company after a life-long service.

In today’s fast-paced and every-changing global economy, such loyalty to a company – or to an employee for that matter – is unheard of. Add to this the fact that entry level jobs are no longer for the recent graduates and young people, but more and more often fall to the more seasoned job-changers, it is not surprising that colleges have taken to preparing their graduates to excel in the job market with classes on career development.

Yet did you know that the person who may very well be credited with the concept of career development is all but forgotten. If someone mentioned the name Frank Parsons to you, would you recognize it? Many probably would not, and it is not surprising, since he died almost 100 years ago. A teacher by profession, an engineer by training, and a suffragist and social reformer by passion, Mr. Parsons soon realized that his true calling was to help laborers, unemployed workers, recent immigrants, and those ready to leave academia to think through their career goals and choices.

Frank Parson’s did not realize his true calling until about seven years before his death, but in that short period of time he succeeded in making his services used at the Civic Service House which was a gift by a noted philanthropist of the time. He went on to expand his services in response to what he saw to be an overwhelming need for career guidance by not only the select few, but also by the masses, and his work was rewarded by the Boston heads of academia when they created a career counselor certification program for others who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Parsons.

His concepts were surprisingly simple, and are still in use today. First and foremost, Mr. Parsons wanted everyone entering the job market to consider what her or his talents and interests were. Not at all subscribing to the notion that any jobseeker should be grateful for whatever she or he

could get, he instead wanted individuals to take stock of their abilities and really think about what kind of work would make them happy and cause them to feel fulfilled. Secondly, he wanted the jobseeker to continue taking stock of the employment situation by having knowledge about the jobs that were available, the pay they offered, and the foreseeable ladder of success that would await a qualified worker. Then, he would help workers to decide if they liked what they saw, or if perhaps a different line of work or even company would be in their better interests.