Occupations?

C

cookiebaby

Cathlete
Hi everyone. I have been gone for a long time but I'm back. I was just wondering what your occupations are, how long you've been doing them, and if you like it. I have a dilemma. I want to apply for school in the fall but there are two programs I can't choose from, dental hygienist or ultrasound tech. I have greatly and extensively researched both, have observed and shadowed people in those careers and have worked in both fields. I have checked out schools, programs, opportunities, benefits, pay, and wrote pros and cons of both, and tried to really be honest of which one would I be happy with and what could I see myself doing. I really love both. Help me decide and give me advice. THanks, cookiebaby:) ;-) :D :* :p
 
I am an RN, and have worked in OB for 12 years. I love it and could never imagine doing anything other than this.

Good luck.:)
 
Cookiebaby,

Both occupations you are thinking of sound very flexible in terms of hours. I would say that's definitely a plus. I do hear that dential hygenist has a high burn our rate. I just remember that from a college career class I had.

Anyway, I work at one of the big three aerospace defense firms. We build the big bad stuff they're using in Afghanastan and Iraq right now. Very interesting hardware but kind of a boring job as I work in Finance. The job has definitely been good for me. The company paid for my undergrad and most of my master's degree. When I retire in a few years I will have a very nice pension.

Good luck!
 
I do not currently have an occupation. I am a full time nursing student, and will graduate Dec. 05'. My first semester of school I did work two days a week in the hospital and I LOVED it. Yes, I did some things that only a nurse can live to laugh about, but the positive patient reponses make it all worth it. Other than my own experience I can only offer my advice to follow your one dream, and do not, under any circumstances, settle for anything less.
 
I am a stay at home Mom, however I have decided once my daughter goes into First Grade (she is 3 right now) I want to work- so I have just started taking classes for court reporting and should be done in 3 years. My sister is a court reporter out East and loves it.
 
Cookie! Welcome back -- how nice to "see" you here again!

This will definitely be of NO help to you, but in order of priority and preference, here are my occupations. :)

Mom -- 17 1/4 years; real good at it, love it, can't get enough of it. Currently very fortunate to be able to take a couple of years as a SAHM.

Lawyer -- licensed for, uh, 24 years; practiced off and on the whole time (in civil litigation, corporate transactional law and telecom law, and in a huge firm, a huge corporation, and a tiny firm); was told I was real good at it but don't love it and have definitely had enough of it. :)

Corporate/motivational trainer -- did this for two years a few years back while on hiatus from lawyering; loved it and felt that I was good at it; had enough of it for a while.

Can ya tell I've got sort of a juvenile attention span, except when it comes to being a mom??? ;-) Now, if only I could decide what I want to be when I grow up......


http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/sport/sport-smiley-003.gif Kathy S. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/spezial/spudniks/spudniklifter.gif
 
I have worked in a hospital for almost 20 years - first as a coder in medical records and then supervising same. Just changed to supervising the scheduling and registration staff for medical college/hospital clinics. Enjoying the change. I love working in a hospital so my bias would be the US Tech. Of course you need to decide what is right for you. Have you looked at predictions for future staff needs in these areas? You have done a lot of research so you have all the facts so now hopefully your heart and gut will tell you which direction is best. Good luck with your decision. Sorry I can't help you decide.
 
cookiebaby I'm an RN, and up until last Friday night I worked 18 years in various ICU's, CCU's and even NICU for 7 years. I've left hospital nursing for ... well ... I hope until I retire - LOL!! On Monday I'll start a new phase of my nursing career as an Injury Claims Trainer, working for an insurance agency reviewing medical charts and educating claims adjusters on medically-related issues. They have established training programs, and I'll be developing new ones on my own as well. I'll be responsible for three area offices, drive a company car, and have a laptop to use. Corporate America, here I come - LOL!! Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00, and dress-up clothes in a salaried position! I feel so grown up ... LOL!! It's a HUGE change for me, but I'm very excited about it!

As for your decision, I would say either one would provide you with a challenging and stimulating career!! If you've checked them both out, you have an idea of the hours and such you'd be working. I do know that as an ultrasound tech, you can get additional training to become certified in CT scans, MRI, etc, which might give you more flexibility as to where and when you could work, as well as make you more marketable to hospitals and outpatient facilities. Whichever one you choose, I wish you the best of luck!!

Carol
:)
 
I'm an at home medical transcriptionist and I love it. I've been a transcriptionist for 20 years and I've been working at home for about 10 years. I can't imagine doing anything else.
 
I'm the administrative assistant for the Director of Student Support Services at a school district. The job is ok - I have a great boss but the pay is left to be desired.

I have my cosmetology license although I only do my families hair.

My dream job would be operating a daycare - I love kids but since my husband is already self-employed, I"m the one that has to work for the benefits.:eek:
 
I'm also an administrative assistant for a national billboard company. I will be here 7 years next month. The job is okay, pay is okay now since I've already been here so many years. When I first started I was making $7/hour now I am up to $15. I know I am capable of so much more, but there is no job mobility where I am. My DH and I are thinking about moving to Florida next year where we both should be able to get a better job.

Good luck in making a career decision. I'm still working on mine.
 
Dental hygienist here. I love my job, but it has its hazards. I can't compare it to the other one you're considering, but I do agree that burnout is a risk of D. H.

Here is my situation and I'll tell you how I prevent burnout. I'll try to be brief!!

I graduated at age 37 in 1997. I decided I would work only as a temp, until and unless I met a dentist I could really trust.

On one temp job I encountered a whole bunch of well-cared for patients! Very small fillings, crowns 10-20 years old, some with meticulous gumline patches, gold inlays and onlays on about 30 % of the people. Well maintained. The second day there I saw the same thing, and I also found the doc was nice, really cheerful and pleasant, staff had been there a long time and they didn't need anybody. I dropped my resume off there in case of future need.

To shorten the story, I have worked there since 1997, perm since '98.

Nice job, but I had back/neck/elbow pain in 1999 and 2000. Hadn't found Cathe yet! At the end of 2000 I broke my heel bone, and when the cast came off I started back gently doing old Firm tapes, then Cathe. (See my fitness page; link at bottom)

Not only fitness, but I also bought some equipment. In 2001 I bought a pair of binocular magnifying glasses and later replaced them with through-the-lens mags in prescription lenses (so I don't have to wear my contact lenses to work). These enable me to see very well while still sitting up straight.

I also bought a piezo scaler (Satelec Suprasson PMax Lux) which has a fiber optic light at the tip. I can practically see around corners with it. The tips are thin and I hardly use hand instruments at all, yet I can do an even more thorough job with more patient comfort (than hand inst or magneto scaler or both).

The glasses cost $1000 and the scaler cost $2000, but they were worth every penny! Now I have no pain, so I can really concentrate on my patients. Work is very satisfying because I see the results of my work. Also I get to see a lot of the same people over years and I feel very connected to community.

I am very happy. I work 4 days a week and my husband basically stays home with our son and keeps him on track and keeps everything together. It works very well for us.

Good luck in your decision!

http://www.geocities.com/ciaobella98765/Fitness.html

-Connie
 
Hi Cookiebaby,
Good luck with making your decision. I hope you are happy in whatever careerpath you chose. Its a blessing to love the job you have. I agree with Carol... that there may be more flexibility and room for career growth as an ultrasound tech.
I am a molecular virologist and a founder of a biotech. I couldn't imagine doing anything else.
Have fun with your new career.:)
 
Currently working back office of healthcare field, at a PPO network processing claims, but soon hope to enter the front lines as an RN. Finishing prereqs to start school full time in Spring 05. In Arizona, you must have a medical two year degree to even consider Ultrasound Tech. I could do that, for instance, after I get my RN. RN in the Radiology Dept intrigues me, although right now I know nothing about anything!!:) Never even worked in a hospital, so we'll see what I am made of!:)

Congratulations Carole on your new opportunity! I am just the opposite of you...can't wait to get out of my 8-5 desk job!!:)

Janice
 
Cathy..
Molecular Virologist? What degree do you have to have to do that? Sounds really cool. What sorts of things do you do?



Janice
 
Hi Janice,
I have a Ph.D but we have technicians and associates with a BS or MS in the sciences that work with us. We study replication and gene expression of viruses. We work with virises in cell culture/animal models, studying them at the RNA,DNA and protein level.The biotech I founded and work at is focused on developing therapeutics...currently in the area of Hepatitis B,C and HIV. We are using a technology that targtes viral genes in a sequence-dependent manner (RNA and DNA sequence).
:)
 
Did you mean me, Janice? I'm Carol without the "e" at the end ... :) ... so if you meant me, thanks!! I know there is at least one other person here with the same name as me who spells it with the "e" at the end, but I see she didn't post on this thread, so I'm assuming you meant me .. lol!

Anyway ... I suppose it's all a matter of perspective on the job issue. If you've done the same thing forever (like I feel I have with the nights and the evenings and the holidays and the weekends!!), you take a chance when it comes along to leave it!! :D

Carol
:)
 
I work in radio---yeah I'm one of those voices on the radio.It's fun- more hectic than people think but still I love my job! Plus it's air conditioned!!! I hate the heat
 
I work for an I.F.A but orginally trained to be a personal trainer but work was hard to come by up this end of the world (South Wales, Abergeavenny!!!) so i took a job to make ends meet. And have been here for the past 6 years. I really need to do a job i love but its so easy to stay stuck.

W x
 
I have been a Solicitor (attorney) in the UK for the past 6 years - and am thankfully about to give it all up in order to move to the US with my American husband on 11th July. This job has been way too stressful for me and frankly incredibly boring! Not sure what I'm going to do next, but am looking into going to college in the US to study either to be a Radiologic Technologist or a Physical Therapist Assistant - any advice on either profession would be very welcome :)

Josie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top