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3 Promising Careers with Built-in Upward Mobility
Posted by | Posted in Dental Health | Posted on 17-04-2010
Let me guess: you needed to start working yesterday, but you don’t want to take a dead-end job leading nowhere just to get a few bucks in your pocket. You want to find a career that you can start quickly, but that will offer you chances to grow, advance and increase that weekly paycheck.
You came to the right place, my friend. We’ve got just the thing for you: 3 rewarding career paths that you can start quickly and grow in while you work.
Dental Career path
Start here: Dental Assistant
With strong growth predicted for the entire dental industry, becoming a dental assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door. Get started by completing a dental assistant program, which is usually offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, and technical institutes. While these programs typically take one year, you can also elect to enroll in a two-year associate’s degree program offered by community and junior colleges. Either way, you’ll be prepping patients and assisting dentists in no time.
End up here: Dental Hygienist
While you’re working as a dental assistant and getting valuable experience under your belt, you can study to become a dental hygienist. Hygienists are those professionals who spend their afternoons polishing our teeth and making our smiles beautiful. To become a dental hygienist, you need an associate degree or certificate in dental hygiene from an accredited dental hygienist program. Once you’ve got that diploma in hand, you’ll also need to take a licensing exam for the state in which you plan to work.
Estimated Earning Potential: In May 2008, the median annual wage for dental assistants was $32,280, while the median annual wage for their dental hygienist colleagues in the same month was $66,570, or more than double. Makes that dental hygienist certification sound like a good investment, doesn’t it?
Added Bonus: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one third of all dental assistants work part-time, which leaves you plenty of time to go to school, care for your family, or pursue another job. In addition, both dental assistants and dental hygienists experience a high degree of flexibility in their careers, with the option to work nights and weekends if that fits into your schedule better.
For information on how to get started, see this dental assistant career profile .
Accountant Career Path
Start here: Bookkeeper
If you’ve got a high school diploma and a passion for numbers, you can start a career as a bookkeeper. Bookkeepers update and maintain financial records for virtually every industry out there. In addition, they may also handle payroll, make purchases, prepare invoices, and keep track of overdue accounts. One thing to note: an Associate’s degree in accounting or business is slowly becoming more desirable for these positions, which can typically be earned in two years.
End up here: Accountant
Bookkeepers who work towards a Bachelor’s in accounting can become accountants when they graduate. Accountants work with companies and organizations to make sure that their taxes are paid on time, their records are kept accurately, and their finances are in order.
Estimated Earning Potential: In May 2008, Bookkeepers made a median annual salary of $32,150. In the same month, accountants took home a median wage of $59,430 for the year.
Added Bonus: More and more schools are offering accounting programs online, making it easy to earn your accounting degree while you work.
Nursing Career Path
Start here: Licensed Practical Nurse
You can get started as a licensed practical nurse (also known as licensed vocational nurse)by enrolling in a state-approved nursing program. These programs are typically offered by community and junior colleges and should take about a year to complete. Once you complete the program, you’ll need to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) to get your license. When you’re done, you’ll be ready to help registered nurses and doctors care for patients on a daily basis in a wide variety of settings.
End up here: Registered Nurse
While you’re working as a LPN, you can study to become a registered nurse. There are three educational paths to choose from: earn a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN), an Associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an accredited nursing program (usually offered by hospitals). Any of these programs will allow you to practice as a registered nurse after you graduate (and pass the NCLEX-RN examination). In addition, many schools offer an LPN to RN program to specifically aid this transition.
Estimated Earning Potential: In May 2008, licensed practical nurses took home a median annual wage of $39,030. Meanwhile, registered nurses were compensated an annual wage of $62,450 in the same month.
Added Bonus: The advancement opportunities for nurses are endless. For registered nurses who don’t have a BSN, there are plenty of programs that make earning your bachelor’s in nursing easy. Once you have your BSN, you can choose to pursue a Master’s in nursing, which will allow you to enter specialized fields and become an advanced practice nurse (APN). (APNs typically become nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, or certified nurse midwives.) If you want to go into teaching or research or a leadership, you can further your career by pursuing a doctorate in nursing. Plus, once you have your BSN, many graduate nursing programs are offered online, making it easy to continue your education. At the end of the day, a nursing career can go as far financially and professionally as you want to take it.
To find out more about getting started as a licensed practical nurse, visit this nursing career profile.
Watch the video related to dental hygienist
A cavity is a small dental infection of the tooth that is comprised of bacteria and is treated with a filling. Discover how a dentist fills a cavity by numbing the patient, cleaning the cavity and filling it with tips from a dentist in this free video on dental health and oral hygiene. Expert: Dr. Mike Glasmeier Contact: www.nashvillefirstimpressions.net Bio: Dr. Mike Glasmeier is a member of the American Dental Association. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge
Help answer the question about dental hygienist
How good a job is a dental hygienist?I am considering going into being a dental hygienist and I am wondering about the college courses I will have to take, the pay, the working environment, and whatever else anyone knows about the job. Thanks.
Depending on where you went to school, you can sometimes get advanced placement credit for your dental assisting education.
i found some additional info for you at http://www.bls.gov.
Hope it helps.
Education and training. A high school diploma and college entrance test scores are usually required for admission to a dental hygiene program. High school students interested in becoming a dental hygienist should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Also, some dental hygiene programs require applicants to have completed at least 1 year of college. Specific entrance requirements vary from one school to another.
In 2006, there were 286 dental hygiene programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Most dental hygiene programs grant an associate degree, although some also offer a certificate, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree. A minimum of an associate degree or certificate in dental hygiene is generally required for practice in a private dental office. A bachelor’s or master’s degree usually is required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
Schools offer laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, radiography, histology (the study of tissue structure), periodontology (the study of gum diseases), pathology, dental materials, clinical dental hygiene, and social and behavioral sciences
THERE ARE ALWAYS LOCAL DENTISTS ADVERTISING THAT THEY NEED A HYGIENIST TO WORK FOR THEM.
HYGIENE IS ABOUT 33% OF A DENTAL PRACTICE SO THERE IS ALWAYS A NEED FOR CAPABLE PERSONEL.
They typically make $50 an hour and see 1 patient per hour.
hi,
check this out,
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm
http://www.texasdha.org/
http://www.tdhea.org/
http://www.twu.edu/dental-hygiene/
good luck,
I have experienced this in my hygiene career and sometimes it is a careless dentist (or other staff member) and sometimes it is an honest mistake. A couple of ways I have handled this are –
1. said nothing that would alert the patient and handed them a new pair of gloves prior to them getting into the mouth
2. asked them if I could speak to them for a minute outside the room and let them know
3. just made eye contact with the Dr. and pointed to the gloves on their hands to jog their memory
4. held out the box of gloves at them
(I have attempted to do all of these behind the patients head or at least out of the line of site, because who wants to be shown their wrong in front of the patient or staff)
If you think it is a ongoing problem and you feel that the dentist will get upset or be offended, you might opt to hold onto the mirror and explorer (so they can't do the exam) until you see they have changed their gloves and if they haven't, hand them gloves first and then the instruments.Or maybe leave a new set of gloves on top of the instruments on the tray so they can't get to the instruments without seeing them.
If this is a constant obvious problem and their are copious amounts of other "dirty" offenses you might see if you can make some positive changes in the practice or find a different practice to work in. Honestly, I graduated 15 years ago and alot has changed, so if the Dr. you are working for is older they may just not know about the newer protocols. There is an awful lot of new information to take in all the time, but basic cleanliness is an issue that cannot be compromised since some medically compromised patients could be severly affected….Not only are you able, but you must address the issue for everyone's safety. After all, if dirty gloves are going into a patient's mouth, what else are they touching the bathroom doorknob? (that you are going to end up touching with your bare hands?)
Good luck + hope that helps!
JAMRDH -a dental hygienist
Dental hygienest
its better if you are not too to get a hepatitis c shot, its for your safety.
It depends on the dentist you are going to work for.
Well every job has it's downsides, but dental hygiene is a great career. Bls.gov says that the employment growth is projected to be 30%, much faster than average. It is in demand and offers great pay, especially for an associate's degree. And yes they do get good benefits, just like any job, you have to search around and interview to find a job that offers benefits that are valuable to you. Here's a good link to lots of useful info on dental hygienists: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm