1. Choosing a Career in Health Care
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2. Careers in Health Care Occupational Therapy
Cardiovascular Technology Counseling Dental Assistant EMT and Paramedic Fitness Trainer Health Care Information Management Healthcare Administration Holistic and Natural Health Massage Therapy Medical Assistant Medical Coding and Billing Medical Office Administration Medical Technician Medical Transcriptionist Nursing
Occupational Therapy
Patient Care Technician and Nurse Aide
Pharmacy Technician
Phlebotomy
Physical Therapy Assistant
Psychology
Respiratory Therapy
Surgical Technology
Ultrasound Technicians
X-Ray Technicians

3. Lesson 1– Choosing a Career
Match your interests, abilities, and needs with a career
What am I really like?
What are my strengths?
What might I want to be doing in one year? Five years? Ten years?
Choosing a Career
Choosing a career from a full realm of possibilities can be an exciting challenge! Although the process involves making some complex decisions, you will be able to manage it if you focus on matching your interests, abilities, and needs with a career that fits them well. To do this, you will have to find out information about yourself as well as about different careers. You might start by asking yourself questions such as:
What am I really like?
What are my strengths?
What might I want to be doing in one year? Five years? Ten years?

4. Lesson 1– Personal Values
What you believe is important and meaningful
Making compromises
Identify highest priorities
Personal Values
Your personal values, or standards, are what you believe is important and meaningful. You use them as a guide for how you want to live, including what career to choose. Some values to consider are:
How much money will you need to make in order to support your desired lifestyle?
Will you have a greater sense of security if you earn a regular salary?
Do you want to work the same schedule every day?
Do you think it is better to have more time for your personal life than more money earned from overtime?
Does the independence of working for yourself and making your own decisions appeal to you?
Would you prefer a job that gives you a high-profile where you are recognized by many people?
Do you want to be in a leadership role where you are responsible for directing the actions of others?
Do you like the idea of being a positive influence on the community and helping others?
Do you feel it is key to use your creativity to make things?
It is likely that no one career will meet all of your desires. People often have to make compromises, or decide what to give up in exchange for something else. The key to finding a satisfying career is knowing which items are your highest priorities. Then you can pursue a career that meets those desires, and you will probably be more pleased with your choice.

5. Lesson 1– Exploring Careers: Published Materials
Start your research by reviewing published materials
Books
Magazines
professional journals
Audiotapes
videos
Exploring Careers: Published Materials
In order to discover a career that fits you well, you need to find out as much as you can about different types of work. Since there are so many possible careers, it is best to start your research by reviewing published materials that will help you narrow your focus. The materials may include books, magazines, and other items to read about employment. One good idea is to look at professional journals for various careers. Other materials may include audiotapes and videos that show people in actual work settings. You may find materials at:
Your school career center or guidance office.
Your library at school or a local public or college or university library.
The Internet, especially on career and professional Web sites.

6. Lesson 1– Exploring Careers: Personal Interaction
Talk to some people about careers that interest you.
Ask family and friends
Interview people in the community
Job shadowing
Arrange limited work-site experiences where you can try out a job in the career area.
Temporary work
Part-time work
Volunteer work
Exploring Careers: Personal Interaction
Beyond using published materials, the next step in research is to talk to some people about careers that interest you.
Ask your family and friends about their work.
Seek other people in the community to interview about their work.
Set up opportunities for job shadowing, where you get to see first-hand “a day in the life” of someone working in a particular career.
Another option is to arrange limited work-site experiences where you can try out a job in the career area. Then you can see if you might like that type of work as a full-time career. Such experiences may include:
Temporary work, which lasts only a short span of time. It may be available during summer and holiday school breaks.
Part-time work, which takes up only a portion of a full workweek, but is done regularly.
Volunteer work, which has no pay, but offers valuable experience.

7. Lesson 1– What to Research
Job description
Working conditions
Personal and physical qualities
Education and training
Salary and wages
Job outlook
Professional organizations
Advancement
What to Research
As you research careers, you should look for several different types of information about each one. It is most helpful to consider items such as:
Job Description: What tasks and duties are done in the career?
Working Conditions: What hours are expected? What are the work settings?
Personal and Physical Qualities: What personality traits and abilities are best-suited to the career?
Education and Training: What type of education does the career require? Where can people get training?
Salary and Wages: How much does a worker typically earn in the career? Does the amount increase with experience?
Job Outlook: Are the number of jobs in the future expected to increase, decrease, or remain steady?
Professional Organizations: What groups exist to support the career?
Advancement: How likely are people to be promoted to higher-level positions in the career?

8. Lesson 1– Career Path
Often you need to take several jobs as steps toward goal
Okay to make changes to the plan along the way
Career Path
It is important to take career research seriously. Yet, also realize that most people change jobs several times in a life span. So you do not have to stay forever with the first choice you make.
In fact, it is best to think of your career as a path or a ladder. Often you need to take several jobs as steps along the way to your ultimate career goal. First you must decide what your end goal is. Then you should identify at what level you can enter the profession. Finally you should plan the steps that will eventually lead you to your end goal.
It is okay to make changes to the plan along the way. But you will be more likely to achieve success and happiness if you at least start with a plan.