November was National Career Development Month

I am very, very late with my blogs this month. Not typical of me, but took on a new full time assignment and had a little bit of a settling-in routine. Not to worry, I feel I am in my zone now and ready to be productive.

In the meantime, November, the National Career Development Month, has just about come and gone. Before you know it, we will be looking at the 2010 Franklin Covey new year's resolution list.

Even though November is almost over, I wanted to remind you of the 30 assignments I usually share this time of year that, if used, could help every professional improve their career satisfaction.

Here they are again, with an accompanying blog post for each:

Here they are again:
Day 1 - Career Change Requires a Positive Attitude
Day 2 - Analyze Your Job
Day 3 - Evaluate Your Skills
Day 4 - Grab a Career Book
Day 5 - Focus on Training
Day 6 - Start Reading Career Blogs and Articles
Day 7 - Start a Career Journal
Day 8 - Start Working on a Career Portfolio
Day 9 - Get a Handle on Workplace Stress
Day 10 - Join Your Alumni Association
Day 11 - What's in Your Personnel File?
Day 12 - Enhance Technical Skills at Work
Day 13 - Thinking About Starting a Business
Day 14 - Join a Professional Association
Day 15 - Rejuvenate Your Contacts
Day 16 - Volunteer!
Day 17 - Create a Kudos Folder
Day 18 - Research Upcoming Job Fairs
Day 19 - Update Your Resume and CV
Day 20 - Explore Career Assessments
Day 21 - Job+Holiday=Stress; Get Some Perspective this Season
Day 22 - Look for Work Life Balance
Day 23 - Are career Myths Holding you Back?
Day 24 - Share your Resume and get Feedback
Day 25 - Learn About Informational Interviews
Day 26 - Identify 2-3 Career Options
Day 27 - Identify Gaps in Skills and Competencies
Day 28 - Register with 3 Employment Websites
Day 29 - Put Your References on Notices
Day 30 - Spend Time with a Career Coach

60 Weeks to a Health Care Career

The next time you have a doctor’s appointment, note how much time you actually spend with your personal physician vs. how much time you spend with medical office support staff. If you are like most people, you might find you spend more time with the office assistants and medical support staff than you do with your doctor.

I have nothing against doctors; I love mine!

As a career management professional, I often get asked about employment trends and ways to recession proof careers. Because of that, I am always observing the workplace, the roles people play, how organizations function and whether or not employees are a "fit" for their roles. I am also always scouting new opportunities to share with readers.

During my last visit to my doctor to remove stitches from the sole of my right foot, I noticed how much of my time I spent with medical office assistants.

The medical office assistants and staffers did everything from verifying my insurance eligibility, retrieving my charts and collecting my co-pay. The assistants in the front office who worked with me were energetic, friendly and showed real interest in hearing about the freak accident where I stepped on the neck of my son's Double Bass, which he had left laying across the living room floor, in the dark.

It made me think about how important these medical office assistants are to smooth operations of healthcare offices whether they are working in my doctor’s private office, in hospitals, insurance companies or with local, state or federal government agencies.

As our demographics continue to shift due to longer life expectancy, the Department of Labor reports that the health care sector, is expected to account for about 3.6 million new wage and salary jobs up to 2014. The health care industry is focused on attracting new labor to meet growing demand in these allied health professions. Since many of the front line, high demand jobs in the sector, like medical office assistants, do not require a four year degree, many schools, are making medical office assistant training available.

If you know a displaced employee, a recent graduate who has not yet landed the right opportunity or someone thinking about changing careers, urge them to consider a career in health care.

The field is growing and pending health care reforms will make the industry a hot area for employment for the foreseeable future.