STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

Thinking about doing .... something

halleybird · Hermes

Things I can totally see you doing:

-interior design

-event planning

-human resources/management

You remind me a lot of a super-organized friend of mine; she has worked in both of the last two things I mentioned and done very well.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

how many years of schooling does it take to be a midwife? I totally see you doign that, and I know its less than a "regular" doctor.

some sort of counsellor? marriage councellor maybe? Again, no idea what actually goes int othat but you'd rock at it.

just trying to think of thing that are different...

Elle · Hermes

Thanks for replying! I know I was super vague, sorry!

Unfortunately I've ruled out interior design, only because it would be 6 years of school/internship before I would even be able to test for certification . I am continuing to dabble in it though, for myself and my family/friends .

I'm not familiar with how one would get into event planning necessarily - is that something you'd actually go to school for? Or would you just have to find somewhere to get on as an assistant and work up from there?

Same with HR - I'm assuming there is a degree for that, but what possiblities are there for that career? Are there lots of different options WRT work settings and stuff? My association with HR is fielding complaints from employess and interviewing ... ?

Elle · Hermes

ILoveChoo wrote:

how many years of schooling does it take to be a midwife? I totally see you doign that, and I know its less than a "regular" doctor.

some sort of counsellor? marriage councellor maybe? Again, no idea what actually goes int othat but you'd rock at it.

just trying to think of thing that are different...

Not sure how many years to be a midwife? At least 4, but it might be 6. The thing I'm already considering is nursing, and then I could work on the OB floor of the hospital, or at a birth center and be in that same environment. All the schools around here are only 2 years so that's all the facilities want when they're hiring ...

Do you know if you have to be a psychologist to be a counselor?

Keep 'em coming - I appreciate the food for thought!

halleybird · Hermes

Elle wrote:

I'm not familiar with how one would get into event planning necessarily - is that something you'd actually go to school for? Or would you just have to find somewhere to get on as an assistant and work up from there?

Same with HR - I'm assuming there is a degree for that, but what possiblities are there for that career? Are there lots of different options WRT work settings and stuff? My association with HR is fielding complaints from employess and interviewing ... ?

My friend has a degree from a university, but I don't think you absolutely have to. She worked as a conference planner, but I can totally see you doing wedding stuff. Right now she works for an engineering co. in HR. She basically finds people to do the jobs they need. I can get more info from her if you want.

Another option -- I can't believe I forgot this one -- have you thought about being a medical assistant? My SIL is one, and she doesn't have a degree (just a couple of introductory nursing courses from a CC). She makes pretty good money. She is allowed to do basic stuff, like take temps, blood pressure, etc. You can get a job with little to no experience if you look around (you'd just need a few nursing classes). I think you'd be awesome to work in an ob/gyn office.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Elle, this is sorta a shameless plug type thing, but have you thought about being me? I know we've sorta talked about what I do/will do before but I actually think all the time about how I can "see" you doing my job. Just a quick run down on me and my job: I am doing my master's in public health (two years, and most schools specialize in managment/policy, epidemiology, community health/prevention, and environmental health) looking to work with govermental and/or hospital policy directly e(a?)ffecting women's health, generally around the idea of maternal/child health. This, for me, generally means more access to breastfeeding education and more progressive work policies, getting more hospitals and health clinics to use midwives...etc. Currently, I am employed as a Research Assistant working in a Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit within a hospital's OB/GYN department. I am mainly in charge of a Gestational Diabetes clinical trial for the NIH but will also be working on a couple of others that deal with preterm birth. I deal directly with pregnant patients and OB docs/midwives on a daily basis and even get to be there for the births. It's awesome and I totally think that you could do this sort of thing. A lot of MPH's go onto work in non-profits or you could do hospital policy planning as well. There are a couple schools in Oregon that do MPH's, so you might not eve have to travel that far.

PM me if you wanna talk further.

PS: You could totally do doula training and an MPH at the same time.

Just wanted to add something else: The director of one of the city health clinics out here is a MPH three years out of school, makes about $70,000 and is IN CHARGE of all the docs, midwives, and nurses. I sorta feel that nursing would frustrate you after a while because you wouldn't get to be making your own policy, you're just more of a boss than an employee to me. I also wanted to add as well that in my career, from now on till retirement I plan on working with pregnant women and will base my life around OB floors and screaming, yelling babies. Doing that now makes me feel so alive and wonderful that I can't possibly imagine a world that didn't involve around babies, pregnancy, and medicine. (I get to wear a lab coat with my name on it that says "OB/GYN" and I ain't giving that up!)

-- Edited by relrel at 21:27, 2006-09-01

kenzie · Chanel

Elle wrote:

I'm not familiar with how one would get into event planning necessarily - is that something you'd actually go to school for? Or would you just have to find somewhere to get on as an assistant and work up from there?

I work in marketing and I also do event coordinating for my company. My job did require a degree. However, the main focus of my job isn't event planning (even though my company does about 10 events per year, with plans to add more as we grow). I don't think the event planning side of my job is what they were requiring the degree for; I think it was the advertising/graphic design/writing part. Event planning just kind of got thrown in there b/c someone has to do it and usually it's someone in the marketing and/or development department. I also did an internship at a non-profit for event planning.

However, I do think it actually is one of those jobs that requires a degree in most cases (at least that's what I saw when I was job hunting). Unless, you start your own company or work as a freelancer, which I could totally see you doing. I would just start out planning friends and acquaintances events and collect items for a portfolio. Build your portolio, get a website up, do some referral marketing, get some business cards and take it from there.

Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions about it.

-- Edited by kenzie at 11:49, 2006-09-02

sephorablue · Marc Jacobs

Relrel... Yaaay! That's the only coherent thing I have to say about your career.

Elle... I can totally see you as a damn good nurse. Your sense of humor would make all of your patients' hospital stays a million times better.

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

Elle wrote:

Do you know if you have to be a psychologist to be a counselor?

well i'll bite here, since i'm getting my masters in counseling. psychologists and counselors are two totally discrete careers. in fact, as a counselor, it would actually be illegal for me to say (or let someone believe) that i am a psychologist. there are all sorts of title laws out there and i won't go into that, but suffice it to say, no, you absolutely do NOT have to be a psychologist to be a counselor. however, i am fairly certain that you need a masters level degree to become a counselor, but i think it also varies from state to state. i think you can get certifications for things like play therapy, art therapy, (i'm sure there's dance therapy too) without a masters. don't take my word for it though. http://www.counseling.org is the site of the Am. Counseling Assoc. and there's tons of info there about careers. there's also Social Work, which is often similar day-to-day. okay, i'll stop on that now, or i might go on all day.

other ideas...i just saw on this ridiculous wedding show showcasing million dollar weddings that there's a such thing as a "bridal dresser" who comes and zips up the bride and puts on hers shoes. i'm like, "what are bridesmaids for?" but if they're paying you $500 a wedding, sounds pretty swank and fun.

i've heard being a pharmaceutical rep is a pretty plush gig as well. but i have no idea what the schooling involved in is.

i've got a big book on "cool" careers (like the "they have a job for that?" kind of things)...i'll look at it and post later if i see anything promising

NCshopper · Hermes

valenciana wrote:

i've got a big book on "cool" careers (like the "they have a job for that?" kind of things)...i'll look at it and post later if i see anything promising

*hijack* What's the name of the book? I'm currently job hunting and thinking of a career switch, so I'd be interested to see the book.

kenzie · Chanel

valenciana wrote:

i think you can get certifications for things like play therapy, art therapy, (i'm sure there's dance therapy too) without a masters. don't take my word for it though.

Hmmm...I think you actually do need at least a bachelor's for both of these things. I have a friend who works in music therapy and she had to have a bachelor's degree and she had to do a year-long internship program.

Here's a link from the American Dance Therapy Association regarding education:
http://www.adta.org/resources/education.cfm

-- Edited by kenzie at 21:44, 2006-09-02

halleybird · Hermes

Elle, if you're interested in teaching dance at the high school level, you could easily get through a BA Education program in 2.5 years if you were willing to take summer school, etc.

to piggyback on the other post, I am pretty sure you have to have an MA to be a counselor, and at least a BA for play therapy -- at least here.

Elle · Hermes

Holy crap Relrel - best. job. evah.

That totally sounds like something I would love to do, and I'm totally going to burst my own bubble here, but you saying that you're getting your MPH means that you've already gotten your undergrad, yes? So I'd be staring down the barrel at 6 years of school?

Is there by chance a shorter, more direct track to that sort of position? Please? If I did get my AAS/RN could I hop into PH from there? We might have to talk more about this ...

Valenciana - I would also be interested in the title of that book. I have one called 'Doing work you love', but it is laaaaaaaaaaaaaame and totally unhelpful .

The idea of event planning is tempting too, but overall I think something that's more stable would be a better primary focus. I do have at least three people who want me to 'do' their (as yet unscheduled) weddings, so I think I'm going to keep that as a side option with some promise for expansion down the line. Really, hubby and I would love to get a couple acres just out of town with space and accomodations to be used as a wedding site, and being able to offer a nearly full-service location would be awesome (and something I could continue in retirement). But to facilitate that I'm going to need to bring in more money than even steady planning gigs can offer .... hence the career search .

I really appreciate you guys helping me brainstorm . You all have the exact perspective on this that I don't have access to IRL!

Too ... much ... to ... think ... about ...! Head ... exploding ...

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

Elle wrote:

Valenciana - I would also be interested in the title of that book. I have one called 'Doing work you love', but it is laaaaaaaaaaaaaame and totally unhelpful .

Heh...I think I have that book too. It was in the bargain bin.

Okay, my book is Cool Careers for Dummies...but I don't want to mislead...it's not amazing. There's a LOT about you know, how to handle interviews, negotiating higher pay, etc. which you can find lots of places. Mostly I just keep coming back to the section on interesting jobs, which, to be fair, is over 100 pages (of ~400), but it might be the kind of thing you sit down with at Barnes & Noble and take some notes from, rather than buy it right away. I think you can search inside on Amazon too. Oh, but the good thing is that it does indicate level of education generally required for each "cool career" and usually gives a website of the related professional organization, so it's easy to find more info.

Here's what I see, requiring no degree, brief training only, or "some" college (and that sounds like Elle ):

Personal Coach (Time Management, Fitness, Parenting, Dating, Etiquette, Personal Organizer, etc.) - like a counselor, less training, requires only certification
www.coachu.com; www.coachfederation.org; www.islandnet.com/~rcarr/referral.html; www.napo.net

Image Consultant - offering seminars or working for a company to help employees project a better image
www.aici.org

Doula - helping new moms transition to motherhood - a hugely growing career
www.dona.com

TV/Radio Community Affairs Director - coordinate public service programming
www.tvjobs.com

Auctioneer - heh, sorry...i'm just amusing myself here...but they do have a national association! - auctioneers.org

Event Planner
Meeting Planners International (no website listed, but they've got to have one); Reunion Planner - www.reunions.com

Relocation Consultant - working with real estate agents to help people moving to an area; Coldwell Banker has a training program
www.erc.org

you could always be a clown! www.clowns.org

Cancer Registrar - seems similar to public health work, keep treatment records of every cancer case and protocol used, working with the physicians & patients...apparently requires a bachelors only
www.ncra.usa.org

Government Procurement Consultant - helping companies get the gov't to buy from them
www.business.gov; www.lesko.com

Medical Writing - "Writing Seven Steps to Preparing for Your Hysterectomy is a typical assignment for medical writers." Explain treatments to patients in lay terms, work for HMOs, hospitals, medical magazines
www.amwa.org

Graphic Designer - I think this only requires maybe an associates degree
www.gag.org; www.wwac.org

Gemologist - decide how much jewelry is worth, if only free jewelry came with...
www.gia.org

you don't know another language do you? you could be a Translator...
www.atanet.org

Optician - helping people pick out glasses, etc.
www.opticians.org

Massage Therapist
www.amtamassage.org

Landscape Designer
www.apld.com

Home Inspector/Home Remodeler
www.ashi.com; www.nahb.com

Physician's Assistant, like someone else mentioned
www.aapa.org

okay...that's all for now...hope maybe that gave you some ideas!

jah · Dooney & Bourke

What about a radiologic technologist? They are in demand, make good money and are needed throughout all areas of the country.

It takes 1-4 years depending on your program. I have a few relatives/friends that went through different programs. The programs were science-centric and weren't easy, but prior to graduating each were able to choose from multiple job offers.

They all started around $50K (Midwest area).

HTH. Here is a link for more info: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos105.htm

laken1 · Hermes

What about an Xray tech? The school is short ( though I think a little pricey) but the pay is good when you get out & from what I understand there is a shortage.....

jacL · Coach

Ok, I want to put my profession out there. Honestly, I do not see you being very happy in this field, but I like to get the word out because so few people actually know about it.

I am a medical technologist/clinical lab scientist and really enjoy what I do. Basically, I work under a pathologist and run lab tests on patient specimens. I then relay these lab results to the physician, who uses the results to make diagnosis and treatment decisions.

There are many types of labs to work in, depending on what type of tests you do (chemistry, hematology, molecular diagnostics, immunology...just to name a few) and you can usually work in a hospital or a clinic environment. Pay is decent, in the midwest, starting is around $45,000/year.

I have a four-year degree but they also offer a two-year (Medical Lab Technician), where you basically do the same thing but probably are not paid as much and do not have as much room for advancement.

Now that I told you all about this, I want to say I really see you doing something more people-oriented. If you were to work in a clinic, you may get a lot of interaction with patients, but in a hospital, where I work, I get absolutely no direct patient contact (and I like it that way). Please ask me more questions if you are, by some odd chance, interested though. I also wanted to add that I think a radiologic technician would be an excellent career choice, as some other people have already suggested.

-- Edited by jacL at 04:32, 2006-09-04

Elle · Hermes

I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to nursing is that it wouldn't limit me to a specific department like rad/x-ray would, and I could theoretically bump departments until I found something I liked. We have a birth center that's affiliated with the hospital downtown that I could bump to later as well (while still keeping my retirement benefits and pension!), if I could get into ob. I guess I'm more attached to the idea of working with moms and babies than I thought!?

Unfortunately, x-ray school is even harder to get into than nursing school around here. And, it's alot of repetitive stuff and button pushing, so says family in the profession . I'd also have a much higher chance of tuition reimbursement as a nurse if I signed a 2 year contract after school, and that isn't currently being offered to many techs ....

Maybe I should just do the nursing thing then ...... ?

-- Edited by Elle at 13:58, 2006-09-06

halleybird · Hermes

Elle wrote:

Maybe I should just do the nursing thing then ...... ?

I say go for it. You can make great money, and nurses are so in demand you can practically set your own schedule. I think you're a natural, especially for working in women's health. But it seems like you have reservations...do you? Or is it just the thought of making such a big decision?