Dental Assistant
Description:
One of my best friends, Meagan, made a very smart choice during high school, to become a Dental Assistant through MATC. She learned all aspects of chair-side assisting, including dental operations, knowledge of the instruments, lab procedures, reception, billing, dental coding, radiology certification for x-rays, OSHA certification, CPR, and First Aid. This training allowed her to work closely with dentists and learn more about the profession. She became more comfortable talking to patients and parents, as well as learning how the office works in relation to answering phones, taking care of billing, and even learning about dental insurance and related procedures. (While MATC is a technology college in Utah, there are likely Technology colleges in your area, too. Find out if they work with high school students and see if you can take advantage of this same opportunity as Meagan did).
How I got the idea / found the employment:
Instead of taking the “easy route” during these years, Meagan took challenging courses her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Instead of taking prep periods and taking her time completing the necessary graduation requirements, she worked hard and efficiently. The reason this was smart was that it paved the way for her to get extra education and experience during her senior year. She took advantage of a very valuable resource, Mountainland Applied Technology College and took MATC classes concurrently with her high school classes. Tuition is free for high school students and the classes are designed to work with high school schedules. Meagan went to MATC for the first half of the day, and Lone Peak for the second half. By the time she graduated, she had become a trained Dental Assistant.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
It was very difficult for Meagan to discipline herself to accomplish this goal. However, she got used to the extra responsibilities she had because of this special opportunity, and learned to balance her time wisely. She still had an active social life, was involved at our high school, and enjoyed her high school years very much.
What I learned:
Meagan learned the valuable skills of dental assisting, and is still benefiting from her choice to pursue this education as she is working part-time at a dentist’s office while she is going to college. She is making a lot of money compared to any of our other roommates, and she has gained so much experience. Since she hopes to become a dentist, she is already on the right path and this employment has been a very good opportunity for her.
Dental Hygienist
Description:
My wife and several of her sisters finished their associate’s degrees in dental hygiene by the time they finished high school. They make an average of $33 dollars per hour and can work a few days per week, or full time if they want. It is the perfect job to save for school during the summers or to work part time during the school year. You can make enough to pay rent in one day! Now that we are married, I have no idea how we would be able to pay for tuition without the work she does.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
My wife got the idea to be a dental hygienist from her older sisters who also got their associates degrees in dental hygiene while attending high school. It just took them a few classes a semester at the local community college. They got the idea from their dad, who is a dentist and taught dental hygiene classes at the local community college that they attended. Rebecca’s older sister was able to buy a house before she was married because of all of the money she was able to save! Rebecca’s dad chose his job based on being able to make the maximum amount of money while being able to spend the most possible time with his family.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
The challenges with dental hygiene which my wife has faced include being disciplined enough in high school to take the extra classes it required. Dental Hygiene is also taxing on the body, especially the wrists and back. It is a job with few breaks between appointments too. The result is that dental hygienists have a high burn out rate. When they come home, they need a nap!
What I learned:
I’ve learned that I could have done a lot more in high school to prepare to be a provider for my family. My wife has been an excellent example of saving money for our marriage and working selflessly to put us through school. Not only has she worked hard, but she has also chosen a profession that has high earning efficiency. Dentists also give great bonuses and like to keep friendly positive, staff around. The tough economic times have not significantly affected my wife’s employment because the medical/dental field is not just a want, but often a need.
Phlebotomist
Description:
Typical task is to draw blood out of volunteers for distribution or research; a phlebotomist can also draw out plasma by separating blood and plasma using a machine that separates the two, and redistributes the actual blood back into the volunteer. Other tasks include cleaning and preparing medical equipment; taking care of volunteers; and training other employees.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
So I was in desperate need of a little extra cash a few years ago while in high school, and I really didn't know how to come across it. One day at school a blood drive was going on, and one of my friends was working there; first of all, I was shocked that he had such a neat job; secondly, I was more shocked to find out that I could undergo the same process of donating blood at a plasma center and be paid for it in cash on the spot! I left school early that day, got directions to the plasma center, showed up, and got started. Aside from selling my plasma, I asked about how to become a phlebotomist. The employees there gave me two suggestions: on the job training at a plasma/blood donation center; or taking a license course through a certified institution like IHC.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
I never realized that even at a young age I could get a cool job like a phlebotomist; I had always assumed that young teenagers were doomed to work as custodians or fast-food jobs; that mind set weighed on my motivation for a long time. Getting the license was fairly easy, and doesn't require too much time; however, on the job training is much more efficient, but harder to come across; it's important to stay diligent and look for openings available at different sites. The big goal in the future is my current pursuit; this is where my idea comes into play. Plasma is a big business; it sells at a high price, and people love volunteering to make a few extra bucks; consequently, the money made selling plasma far exceeds the money given to those who give their own. My idea is to major in business management and clinical laboratory studies, keep working at the plasma center; learn how its ran; then open up my own plasma centers across the country near universities where college students will be desperate to sell their plasma for a little extra cash.
What I learned:
The big thing I learned was that I could pursue a dream that I thought was impossible. I never imagined being able to get such a good paying and rewarding job at such a young age that would help me pursue an even greater course in the future. This has given me a lot of confidence in obtaining a good future career and a lot of direction which motivates me greatly. It's easy to follow a course when you know where you're going.
Phlebotomist
Description:
A phlebotomist draws blood from people. This could be anything from drawing people’s plasma at the several plasma centers around Provo or drawing blood for medical purposes at hospitals. This would open many doors in a medical career, as well as provide a much better income than a typical fast food job.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
The way that I got the job was by donating plasma and seeing the phlebotomists drawing my blood. Also, my roommate is a phlebotomist and he makes decent money and enjoys his job. What cemented the idea into my head, however is when I went to the hospital and had to get my blood drawn there as well, and saw the demand for good phlebotomists.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
There are several challenges faced in being a phlebotomist. The first thing is that you have to go through a seven week training course that does not pay. This could be a major problem if you need to earn a stable income and can’t afford to go seven weeks without pay. Another challenge is that if you are squeamish at all, then this would not be the job for you. In this job you are solely dealing with blood and if you do not have a strong will for stuff dealing with that then this would be a miserable job for someone.
What I learned:
I learned several things while doing this assignment. I think that the most useful one, however is the fact that there actually is useful, productive employment out there for a college kid. There are other jobs rather than a cashier at Wendy’s.