Get Ahead by Free Times

A Foot in the Door

Health Care Career Resources

Entry-Level Medical Careers

Research trends and salary expectations:

By Allison Caldwell

Occupational Outlook Handbook bls.gov/ook/healthcare

or those out of work, out of school, or just out looking to get a foot in the door toward a promising new career, Columbia’s health care systems offers several entry-level positions with ample opportunity for growth. As two of the largest employers in the Midlands, Palmetto Health Alliance and Lexington Medical Center have several entry-level listings on their websites (just visit the Careers tab on the sites listed below). Employment managers Davis Bourne and Tina Flint explain how to get ahead.

Working Your Way Up “There are several entry-level jobs available now for those with medical or administrative backgrounds,” says Flint, employment manager for Lexington Medical Center. “Several positions are ideal for those who are still in school and want to advance. No matter what job you’re applying for, the fastest way to get a response is by applying online. We have a whole team of recruiters who check for applicants every day, and online applications help streamline

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the interview process.” “If you can get in the door with minimum qualifications — high school diploma or equivalent for some, certification or a certain amount of experience for others — we provide in-house opportunities to add skills and training for dual-role positions,” says Bourne, employment manager for Palmetto Health. Along with environmental technicians, business office associates and medical coders, Bourne and Flint report that patient

Search for local job opportunities: Lexington Medical Center lexmed.com/careers Palmetto Health palmettohealth.org/careers Find relevant courses of study: Centura College centuracollege.edu, 754-7544

support technicians and certified medical assistants are in demand in both hospital systems. Both jobs share similar duties. Nationally, medical assistant jobs are expected to grow 34 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. “Our patient support tech is the most basic of five qualifications, and one of our largest employee populations that offers the best opportunity for entry-level applicants,” says Bourne. Once you get in the door, there are opportunities to acquire new skills and to combine them, Bourne says. “The five skills are nurse tech, unit

ECPI University ecpi.edu, 772-3333 Midlands Technical College midlandstech.edu, 738-8324 Remington College remingtoncollege.edu, 265-4398 Research other entry-level health care positions: Home health aide Medical secretary Medical billing/coding Massage therapist Medical transcriptionist Physical therapy assistant Occupational therapy assistant Dental assistant

secretary, phlebotomist, EKG tech and monitor technician,” Bourne says. “The most common dual-role combinations are patient support/nurse tech, nurse tech/unit secretary and nurse tech/phlebotomist.” Flint says several schools offer programs for certified medical assistants, and that Lexington Medical Center doesn’t recommend one school over another. “It’s definitely a hot job, but applicants do need an accredited certificate of completion,” Flint says. Basic first aid knowledge and current CPR certification are also preferred.

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What to Expect Patient support technicians provide direct care by performing basic nursing duties; communicating with patients, family members and other personnel; maintaining accurate documentation; and ordering supplies as needed. Palmetto Health requires a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as successful completion of an accredited tech training course or at least one year of comparable experience (nurse technician or nursing assistant) in a medical setting. Similarly, certified medical assistants typically work in an office setting where responsibilities include both clinical and administrative tasks: recording vital signs; explaining treatment procedures; assisting with injections, urinalysis, CPR and

Health Care IT Jobs Midlands Tech Launches Training Program Information technology (IT) jobs are also a growing segment in the health care industry, and Midlands Technical College has recently partnered with IT-oLogy and Central Carolina Technical College to create a new training program for unemployed candidates. Growing Resources for Information Technology (GRIT) is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration in support of two high-growth occupations in the Midlands: application development and systems support. “The GRIT grant was awarded in April,

general patient care; maintaining records; and scheduling appointments. Lexington Medical Center also requires a high school diploma or equivalent and completion of an accredited CAAHEP or ABHES Certified Medical Assistant course, with six months or more of practical work experience (those acronyms stand for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools). Starting salaries for both positions average anywhere from $9 to $13 an hour, with a mean annual salary of $29,050. Midlands Technical College, ECPI University, Centura College and Remington College are among several local institutions that offer the required certification programs.

and our first cohort starts in September,” says Amanda Taylor, public affairs coordinator for MTC. “Candidates must be unemployed. The grant targets unemployed veterans, women and minorities with college-level coursework or training in IT, or IT experience.” The program supports three tracks of study, Taylor says: programmer analyst, computer network support specialist, and network and data communications specialist. All three are applicable for jobs in the health care and insurance industries. Upon successful completion of the classroom training, students will participate in a paid, four-week, on-the-job training experience at a local employer. Eligible candidates can apply online at mtctraining.com/grit.

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Ready, Set … Test! USC, Kaplan Offer Flexible Choices for Post-Bachelor’s Entrance Tests By Katie Alice Walker

tandardized tests: You’ve been taking them since elementary school, and if you’re thinking of going to grad school, the toughest tests are just ahead.

The good news is that test prep options abound, locally and online. But if you are thinking of going to grad school, you’re likely already thinking about the cost of more education, so you’d be wise to carefully consider the costs and effectiveness of the test preparation courses you’re thinking about. Keep in mind that with a quick trip to any bookstore, you’ll find plenty of study guides for any admissions test. Depending on your learning style and level of self-discipline, though, test-prep courses are worth considering to achieve your best score. Whether it’s the GMAT, GRE or LSAT, read on and study up on what you can expect those test prep options to look like. There are a variety of test-prep options online, but there are really just two preparation powerhouses in Columbia if you’d

For More Info Visit saeu.sc.edu and learn.sc.edu or call 1-800-922-2577 for more information on USC’s University Test Prep offerings. Vist kaptest.com or call 1-800-KAPTEST for more information on Kaplan and its test-prep courses.

like to actually sit in a classroom with an instructor: University of South Carolina’s University Test Prep and Kaplan. Lee Weiss, director of graduate programs for Kaplan Test Prep, offers a few recommendations before even taking the test-prep plunge. “Prepare for your test early in the ap-

plication cycle,” Weiss says. “If you decide to go to law school or business school, you’ll know what your chances are and if you qualify for merit-based scholarships. Plan ahead — getting to grad school is a long cycle.” Once you’ve decided you’d like to take one of the necessary exams to apply to graduate schools and a test-prep course is in your future, the bad news is that most test prep courses don’t come cheap. But with options like online courses and Kaplan’s On-Demand curriculum, where you can choose when you’d like to start each lesson and work at your own pace, you can curb the expense somewhat. “Online classes are for those who are very motivated,” Weiss says. “Kaplan offers expert live instructors, but if you’re going to a gym our live classes are like personal training. Our on-demand courses are like working out on your own.” Weiss also mentions that Kaplan offers some tuition assistance as well as discounts through various academic clubs. And wellprepared students who test well might earn

and costs $599. Kaplan’s Classroom Anywhere offers live online instruction, with set class schedules and interactive features. With numerous options available, you’ll likely find something to suit your schedule with this $949 course. And Kaplan’s inperson Classroom On Site GMAT options are offered at $1599 and the next course begins Oct. 24.

GRE Many advanced-degree programs in communications, history, music, education and computer science require a GRE score, and often a subject-specific test. USC University Test Prep: Again, USC offers an online course option as well as an in-classroom option with several options this fall. While most of USC’s courses are taught twice a week, University Test Prep also offers a Sunday course that meets just once a week for four hours, which is ideal for many who are applying to graduate school and already hold full-time jobs. The GRE test prep course is offered at USC for $749.

“Online classes are for those who are very motivated. Kaplan offers expert live instructors, but if you’re going to a gym our live classes are like personal training. Our on-demand courses are like working out on your own.” — Lee Weiss, director of graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep eligibility for scholarships, grants, fellowships and assistantships, which can save tuition dollars in the long run. Sure, the courses are expensive and a significant time investment, but the goal is to get you on the path to a new degree program. “We’ve been offering test-prep instruction for 75 years,” Weiss says. “We make students happy and improve their scores.” Below is some helpful, test-specific information.

GMAT If you’re interested in earning your Master of Business Administration, you’ll need to take the GMAT. USC University Test Prep: USC just began a 24-hour online GMAT preparation course, which is convenient for students who prefer a non-classroom setting or can’t travel to USC’s main campus here in Columbia. Whether you’re taking the course online or in the classroom, both are offered two days a week (beginning in September) with convenient evening hours for $849. Not quite ready to take the plunge? USC offers a free GMAT strategy workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 3. Kaplan: Kaplan offers GMAT On Demand courses, which give students the choice of prepping online at their own pace

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Kaplan: GRE Test prep with Kaplan again means online course offerings and in-classroom options, ranging from $499 to $1299. But no matter which route you choose, Kaplan offers Adaptive Learning Technology for each of its prep courses, which allows students to get feedback and next steps for studying based on homework and quiz scores.

LSAT The LSAT is required to get into law school, and like many post-bachelor’s degree tests, the fewer times you take the test, the more appealing your law school application. USC: University Test Prep offers several options for LSAT preparation, including online courses, Sunday instruction and twice-weekly courses. Each option costs $849 and students can expect to spend 30 hours preparing in the course. USC offers a free LSAT strategy workshop Tuesday, Oct. 2 for students planning to study on their own or curious about what University Test Prep’s course offerings will look like. Kaplan: LSAT test-prep options online and in-classroom range in cost from $649 to $1399. Kaplan also has flexible options, including summer intensive programs and free LSAT preview classes.

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Learn to be competitive Make yourself employable fast

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QuickJobs programs have been developed for fields where job growth is expected.

Fast-paced Continuing Education programs offer Career Training. Despite the current economy, there is still a demand for skilled workers in SC. Industry experts agree that 70% of jobs projected through 2016 will require specific or occupational training, not a four-year degree. Many programs can be completed in less than three months. Some programs have annual earning potentials over $60,000. You may be eligible for tuition assistance.

Take a look at the QuickJobs training MTC offers: Business Accounting and Payroll Specialist Customer Relations Specialist Office Administrative Specialist Project Manager Computer Technology Certified Internet Web Specialist Computer Technician Database Manager Desktop and Server Administrator Desktop Publisher/ Document Specialist Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional Server Administrator

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Start now. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait. To begin, go to mtctraining.com/quickjobs or call (803) 732-0432 for more information. Additional assistance for those receiving unemployment benefits or eligible for WIA The Midlands Workforce Development Board works in partnership with Midlands Technical College to help job seekers build the skills they need for jobs that are in demand. Call your nearest Midlands Workforce Center in Columbia, Lexington or Winnsboro and ask about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and tuition assistance for QuickJobs training as well as other training available at MTC. In Columbia, call 737-5627. If you live closer to the Lexington One Stop, call 359-6131 or go by and ask to speak to a WIA case manager. In Winnsboro, call 635-2812 and ask about WIA.

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Web Development is Fast-Paced but Fun Problem-Solving, Creativity are Key Skills By Rodney Welch

en Rex started CyberWoven — a Columbia-based web design and development firm — while in college. He was studying economics and finance when he and a friend decided to take advantage of the technology boom. “A couple of unwitting souls gave us $1,500 a piece to build websites,” he said, “and this is what it’s turned into. It’s been a great ride.” The company has only grown since then; recently, Cyberwoven moved to a new larger location on Huger Street. And it shows little sign of slowing down, with well over 100 active clients, ranging from banking to manufacturing to tourism to direct consumer retail. Prospective web developers should know that the field is growing, and the culture is fun — but also demanding. As the company’s co-founder and CEO, Rex has tried to maintain a creative and casual workplace. But it is also a very fast-

For more information Cyberwoven cyberwoven.com

Criminal Justice 38

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paced and results-oriented one. “Our competition is everything from large consulting firms, over to other website development firms in South Carolina and the Southeast, over to big programming shops and website firms in Honduras and Slovakia and India and Thailand,” Rex says. “It truly is a global market.” It’s also a business that has to be very responsive to change. He points to the Kindle Fire mini-tablet, which didn’t exist nine months ago. “Ultimately, the websites that we designed were expected to instantly work on that device when it launched,” Rex says. “The same was true two-and-a-half years continues on page 40 ITT itt-tech.edu Midlands Tech midlandstech.edu

ECPI University ecpi.edu

University of Phoenix phoenix.edu

Full Sail fullsail.edu

USC uscwebcertificate.org

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Where to Start with Web Development There are several routes to a career as a web developer. A relatively inexpensive path is the Web Design and Maintenance Certificate Program at Midlands Technical College, which Cyberwoven CEO Ben Rex says offers “a great introduction to the web, and what it takes to be a web designer and developer. You also come out with a good knowledge base. Even if you don’t choose this as your career, it’s going to give you a wonderful heads-up and a skill set that you can apply whether you decide to become a rocket scientist or a dental assistant.” “If there’s one thing that I would point to as a great way to figure out whether this field is for you, I would say it’s the certificate program at Midlands.” Other local and online schools also offer web design programs. Among them are USC, ITT, ECPI, the University of Phoenix and more. Before enrolling in any program, you should investigate its cost and reputation. If you want to aim your sights on a degree program rather than a certificate, Rex suggests getting an associate’s degree

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at Midlands Tech or an online bachelor’s degree in Web Design and Development through the Florida-based Full Sail University. Getting the certificate and then taking it further, Rex said, will make you a “relevant candidate in the field in as little as two years and as much as four.” Development and design are two different tracks, and students usually choose to pursue one or the other during formal training. “We’re seeing more and more of a formal process over time where ultimately folks are going through formal certification programs and are going to study at places like Midlands, USC and on a national scale at places like Full Sail, which is a wonderful university built purely around the digital world.” “The specialization and formalization of training in the web sphere is evolving quickly and the demand for folks who understand the web, understand business and how they tie together is growing quickly.”

“They’re problem solvers, they’re logical thinkers, but at the same time their thought processes can’t be rigid. They always have to be willing to find new solutions and take inventive, creative approaches to creating new things and solving new problems.” — Ben Rex, Cyberwoven, on web developers

ago when the iPad launched. We have to anticipate where the web is going and build our websites now for devices that may not exist today, but definitely will exist a year from now.” As a result, CyberWoven is trying to stay ahead of the curve, focusing on responsive design, which automatically resizes a website to the appropriate device, whether it’s desktop, mobile or tablet. “So, that’s fun — and hyper, hyper-complex,” Rex says. “Because how you navigate a website with your thumb is very different than how you navigate with a keyboard, and very different with a mouse.” There are two types of web developers at the company: front-end and back-end. The front-end developers are the ones who make the user-interface of the website.

“It is their work that you see when you click on a website,” Rex says. The back-end developers do database development work, “making the content management system work, and they’re the ones who are structuring applications.” Being a web developer, Rex says, is “a hybrid of right and left brain.” “From a personality perspective,” he says, a good web developer has to be “someone who has both the engineering mindset and the creative mindset. They’re problem solvers, they’re logical thinkers, but at the same time their thought processes can’t be rigid. They always have to be willing to find new solutions and take inventive, creative approaches to creating new things and solving new problems.”

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