As part of my new “Altruistic Tuesdays” series, today, I am pleased to highlight a story from Encore.org:
Terry Ramey started working on an assembly line at a Ford plant outside Ann Arbor, Mich., when he was in his 20s. “I’m third-generation auto,” he explains. Like his father and grandfather, he figured he would retire from the same job.
But after more than 13 years, the monotony of the line, the physical toll it took on his body, and the auto industry’s uncertain future started Ramey thinking about leaving. “The quality of life, even though I made a good living, was terrible.”
Not too long afterward, Ramey happened to be the first on the scene of a highway motorcycle accident. He was calm, able to help the injured man – and surprised that he got so much satisfaction from doing it.
When Ford offered an “education buyout package” – a chance to attend school for four years and receive up to $15,000 in annual tuition money and half his annual wages – Ramey jumped at the chance.
Even though he had never been to college and he was 40 years old, Terry enrolled in a four-year nursing program. He plans to become a nurse by age 44.
Have you ever thought of making a change – a big change – in your career? The healthcare industry consistently ranks in the top growth fields year after year. Is this a field of interest to you?
Andrea Santiago, about.com’s guide to health careers, reminds us, “There are lots of health care jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree, and some don’t even require an associate’s degree.” She cautions, “However, keep in mind that generally, the more education is required for the job, the higher it will pay, just as in any other industry.” (Stay tuned for much more advice from Andrea about transitioning to a health career tomorrow!)
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re so right – according to friends in the field, healthcare can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. As a massage therapist, I’m halfway there already, and I’m thinking of making the final leap. Can’t wait to read the next one!
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Rowan – Thanks for your comment! I think people forget how many different avenues there are in health care. The fact that it is a tough job to outsource also makes it a valuable investment! I appreciate you stopping by and hope you enjoy tomorrow’s post as well!
Great post Miriam! Thanks for spreading the word about the wonderful world of healthcare and all of the various career opportunities, & also thanks for including me!
Regards,
Andrea
Andrea – Thank you for being such a great resource and providing extra details and advice that I will post tomorrow! I am so glad that we “met” on Twitter!
Miriam – I am so excited to read your post on Healthcare Careers. For your readers that are interested in Healthcare IT Careers, please check out http://HealthcareITToday.com where I am the featured career coaching blogger.
There will be tremendous opportunity in Healthcare IT the next five years, several experts predict 50,000 new jobs!
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I have never heard about the concept of an “educational buyout” before, but the idea is pretty awesome. I’d love to see more companies offer packages like this to their employees. Instead of just laying someone off a package like that at least offers the possibility of a new beginning.
Props to the guy in the story for going with his gut, and taking the risk in order to improve his own quality of life!
OH yeah? huh, I have been hearing a lot of people saying that the health care is a good one to consider for a career change. I mean, it is really growing by the second, that’s true! I will look into it more, thanks for the advice. Healthcare, is it a quite lucrative career as far as you know?
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