As many of our friends know, ABC Training Center has been a staple in New York City’s medical career training field since the early 1970s.  That’s a long time in this business and over the years we’ve witnessed countless changes all around us – political, technological, economic, etc.  But all along, we’ve been fortunate to have had steady leadership that realizes that a successful business is one that can adapt and change with the world around us.  Doomed are the companies that are not fast enough to change and adapt.  (See Blockbuster Video Stores, Palm Pilots, CD/Record stores and, most recently Kodak, for proof of this.).

And while ABC has been quick to adapt to a changing world, there’s one area of our business that has pretty much stayed the same: our teachers.  Instructors are the number one asset of any school and they are probably the single most important reason why thousands of our students have achieved career success over the years.  At the end of every course, we ask students to write down an honest assessment of their instructors here at ABC.  I’m always amazed at the responses we get, such as:

“I have no areas of concern.  When you talk, you know what you are talking about.  Thank you.”

“I want you to continue teaching at ABC because you make students successful.”

“You treat everybody with respect and encourage us to learn everything.  Keep it up.”

“Amazing instructor, need not change anything.  I loved the hands-on and her teaching patterns.”

“It was a pleasure to be with this teacher and because of her I would recommend this school to family and friends.”

“I really enjoyed the way you asked questions out loud and how we had to answer them.  It really stuck in my head that way.”

“I’m never going to forget you.  You are the best of the best.  God bless you.”

“My teacher has an art to her teaching.  She brings clarity and understanding to everything in class.”

“I enjoy coming to class, the atmosphere is awesome.”

“I love the way you teach… You are the best and I am happy to be in your class.”

So in the end it’s not the building you’re in that makes a good school.  It’s not the computers and equipment you’re using.  It’s not the textbooks, notes or study materials that you read.  It’s the teachers, plain and simple.  It’s been said that to succeed in business you should do one thing and do it better than everyone else.   Here at ABC Training, we’ve been able to pick the best of the best when it comes to our esteemed instructors and we’re proud to say that we do that better than anyone else.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Our January job tip speaks to the importance of working your networks and connections within the organizations that you wish to work for.

If you follow the advice of career experts, you know to “dig the well before you’re thirsty.”  In other words, prepare for your next job search by continually building and strengthening the relationships within your professional network.  Asking your network for job leads is not a best practice of professional networking.  Instead you should find and assess jobs that you are a match for and then locate advocates to help you connect the dots.  It works like this: once you’ve identified a position you’re interested in and for which you are a solid match, identify your advocates before submitting your value proposition cover letter and targeted resume).  The number one best source is people that are currently working at the facility (H.R. professionals, your peers, recruiters that work with the facility or hospital).

Since every corporation has its own culture and processes, business intelligence is the most effective way to navigate the system of gatekeepers.  Accurate information is invaluable.  There are lots of stories about qualified candidates who were great matches for positions.  But these candidates missed out on opportunities because they didn’t present their skills in the proper manner for the target company.  You need to speak their language.  After all, isn’t that what a targeted resume is all about?  Once you’ve identified advocates for a position, you’ll be armed with the information and support system that allows you to manage the hiring process for maximum effect.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Our second installment of our Job Tips series looks at an effective way to fill out a job application quickly AND accurately, therefore getting a job offer sooner.  Here at ABC Training Center, our graduates often report that they are completing interview applications only to find out that someone who has already seen the interviewer has already gotten the job.

How do you try to be the first interviewed?  The answer is by completing the employment application accurately and thoroughly before anyone else does.  If you are the first one into the office, you have a good chance of getting the job.

Here is how you do it:

1. Get some 3×5 blank cards
2. At home, write down all of the important information you may be required to provide on a job application.
   • Name of the schools you went to and the dates
   • Social Security number
   • References with names and addresses
   • Any certificates or licenses that you hold
   • Former addresses, current phone number, etc.

After you are given the employment application to complete, whip out your cards, copy the information, be ready to begin the interview.

Good luck.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

As I was surfing the internet today looking for some topics to blog on, I turned to my trusty friend Google and did a simple search under the term “Medical Careers.”  What I found was an article from the Palm Beach Post which said the following:

“Anyone seeking a rewarding, essential career today need look no farther than his local hospital.  Hospitals and clinics throughout the country have been pinched in recent years by a serious shortage of trained medical personnel.  The key word is “trained”.  A person with as little as six weeks schooling can fill a useful hospital position but untrained workers are often turned away.

“‘We are cognizant of the fact that well-trained people don’t just drop out of the sky,’ says William Mauser of John F Kennedy Memorial Hospital.”

The article then goes into detail about the different types of training that many facilities in the Palm Beach Area are offering due to the medical career job shortage.  The article finishes with:

“There are literally hundreds of jobs that are vitally necessary to the orderly operation of a hospital.  The hospital medical team includes many jobs, some common, some uncommon.  Most of them are in need of personnel and all require training.”

So nothing earth shattering here.  The main theme of this piece is what we preach on a daily basis here at ABC Training Center.  For real job security, for steady employment, for good paying careers – look no further than a medical career path (and good training of course).

However there was one thing that stood out from this article.

It was published 40 years ago on May 10, 1971.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Here at ABC Training Center, we take pride in having helped thousands of New Yorkers obtain jobs in the lucrative medical career field.  And a big part of what we do continues after a student completes his or her studies.  For example we recently launched our interactive job board (http://abctrainingcenter.net/job-placement/) which allows ABC graduates to post their resumes online.  This lets our job placement office match up those candidates with current job openings.  Another idea that we had was to start using our blog as a place to share job hunting tips, and to do it on a monthly basis.  So we kick off our monthly Job Tip series with this bit of advice that was sent to us by a recent grad:

“The best tip I ever received from the ABC Placement Office was about visiting the place of employment early in the morning before the time the interview was scheduled.

I made sure I was at the Nursing Home at 7:30 for a 9AM interview.  I went directly to the cafeteria and sat down with my cup of coffee and asked the C.N.A’s,( they wear  badges), to sit down with me and to please answer a few questions before I was to be interviewed for a  C.N.A. job.  Almost all of them were receptive and wanted to help me out.

I learned that the Nursing Director was especially interested in fire protection.  I was able to use the time to organize my thoughts about what I learned in class concerning R-A-C-E and had time to review my textbook, which I brought to the interview in case I wanted to show the interviewer what I covered in class.

When I was interviewed and asked about fire and fire protection and the treatment and procedures in working with residents under fire conditions, I was ready to “spin my tale”.  I impressed the Nursing Director and got the job.   Thanks, ABC.”

You’re welcome.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

So the New York Times reported two days ago that while the recession was “officially over,” average household incomes had fallen more in the two years after the recession ended than it did during the recession itself (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/us/recession-officially-over-us-incomes-kept-falling.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=recession&st=cse).  That’s absolutely laughable.  That’s like a doctor telling you that you’re cured of an illness yet you’re still feeling terrible and not functioning properly.  That’s like saying that a war is over but bombs are still falling…I can go on and on.  According to the article, “Between June 2009, when the recession officially ended, and June 2011, inflation-adjusted median household income fell 6.7 percent, to $49,909, according to a study by two former Census Bureau officials. During the recession — from December 2007 to June 2009 — household income fell 3.2 percent.”  Look, this is by no means a political commentary or criticism on how any one party is doing its job.  But when is someone in Washington going to step up, declare and ACT like this a true national  emergency?  Once the envy of all nations, we’ve become the poster child for excessive spending and failed economic policies.

Just look around.  When I do, I see nearly 10% unemployment and continuous foreclosures across the country.  There was a time when the people running this country were looked upon as great men and women who were in some way looking out for all of us.  Those days, unfortunately are gone.  So what does that mean?  Well it means that it’s up to you and you alone to better yourself.  Just ask any of the thousands of ABC grads that have come through our doors over the years.  They made conscious decisions to make themselves immune to any economic fluctuations.  They’ve entered fields that have actually grown during this past recession.  Millions upon millions of jobs have been created in the health care field in the past few years.  Additionally, salaries in these fields are expected to increase by a whopping 22% by 2018.  No other career field can boast such figures.

No one  is going to look out for you better than you can.  It’s all about changing the national paradigm.  And it starts with causing change and not simply waiting for it.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Last month, ABC Training Center celebrated a special day when we held our annual graduation ceremonies at St. Nicholas of Tolentine School in the Bronx.  That day marked a huge occasion for everyone involved.  For us as administrators, it was an opportunity to see so many of the eager faces who have come through our doors.  And while so many of our grads have come from various walks of life, they all accomplished the same goal: making a difference in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones by completing their medical career training with us.  There were students from our CNA, Home Health Aide and EKG/Phlebotomy classes.  There were Pharmacy Tech grads as well as Medical Billers and Coders.  For the grads themselves, well, the sense of accomplishment of completing a top-notch medical training course was apparent.

The medical career training that they’ve completed is beneficial on several levels.  With the present economic situation, our recently graduated friends have put themselves in an advantageous position to not only survive, but thrive in, the current downturn.  They’ve become a source of pride and inspiration to those who know them.  And as their careers progress, they will only become more marketable and valuable to whoever employs them in the future.  With that said, I’d like to congratulate each and every one of them on a job well done.  Graduation Day at ABC Training Center: one of my favorite days of the year.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Two weeks ago, the US Department of Labor published its latest job report (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm).  My friends, the news was not good.  In fact it was rather grim.  After several months of growth, the economy added only 54,000 new jobs in the month of May.  In a country of over 300 million, that 54,000 number is downright scary.  The job news had an immediate effect on Wall Street as all of the major indexes dipped.  The Dow fell over 130 points just after the opening bell the day following the report.  Couple that with the recent reports that the housing market is still struggling mightily, and the story is even more depressing.

That is unless you work in the healthcare field.

That’s right.  The lone bright spot in the US Labor Report centered around only 2 industries that actually grew during the recession.  One of them was healthcare.  The New York Times reported:” The biggest gains were in professional and business services and in health care services, which grew steadily even during the recession.”  Think about it for a second.  While every other sector was eliminating jobs, the healthcare services sector was adding jobs around the country.  And the beautiful thing about it is that the end is not in sight.  The job growth is forecasted to continue.  This is something we’ve been preaching for years.

According to The Times, Paul Ashworth, chief United States economist at Capital Economics said: “The economy clearly just hit a brick wall.”

There’s nothing wrong with hitting a brick wall.  Just make sure you hit it hard enough to bust it down and keep going.  Just ask someone in the healthcare field.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

There are many aspects to what we do here at ABC Training Center.  Our staff has many responsibilities in addition to running the admissions process of a facility that trains hundreds of students at once all while trying to grow our program offerings and maintain our high standards.  On a daily basis, we’re also dealing with students, staff members, instructors, vendors, maintenance personnel – you name it.  Our responsibilities here at ABC are huge and we don’t take them lightly.  But sometimes it is difficult to see what we are accomplishing here every day.

That is until we receive an email like this one below.

It was written by a recent grad, Flona Patten, and it reinforces to us what we as a whole love about our jobs here at ABC Training Center.  Flona’s letter helps me realize what a difference we are making.  There are people who walk in here confused and frustrated with the current job market.  And they leave here confident, well trained and ready to take on new challenges.  At the end of a long day, an email like this is just what we need to keep things in perspective and to keep us going!

“I recently completed my training at ABC as a PCT.  I would just like to express my sincere gratitude to your establishment, for making available programs such as the ones you offer and most of all, your weekend classes.  On May 1, 2010, I commenced my CNA course.  My initial encounter was with Ms. Ideen Zarkin (Ms. Z).  First impression was humility.  As the classes progressed, we were taken through various aspects of life’s experiences and learned about the real world and how to incorporate the theory we were being taught.  Ms. Z was very instrumental in her students’ continuing education.  We were encouraged at almost every session to take the EKG and Phlebotomy classes.  Students even joked that ABC was paying her extra to advocate for them.  Whether that is true or not, it’s not known (didn’t have the guts to ask, but do hope it’s so), but with her prompting, I decided to do the classes.  I registered, took the books home, started to read.  I got through the first chapter and thought “this is NOT a piece of cake”.  With great hesitation I turned up for my first class.  Mr. Edward Botchway, (Mr. Eddie) introduced himself, told us what the course entailed and began teaching.  I got the shock of my life.  All that I had read and found so hard to comprehend, Mr. Eddie with such profound grace, eased us through what had seemed so difficult.  I actually started to look forward to coming to classes.  Such a graceful, giving individual.  ABC is to be commended for providing the opportunity for people like me who currently work, but still want to pursue higher educational levels.  You are blessed to have people like Ms. Z, with her adaptability, humility, empathy and leadership qualities, and Mr. Eddie, with such profound knowledge, willingness to share, and charm.  Please value them, as they share with so much dedication the tools they have with the rest of us.  I passed my CNA, completed my EKG and Phlebotomy and am now a PCT.  I sit for my Nationals next week, which I am most confident I will pass.  Thank you ABC and may God continue to bless you and the rest of your staff.”

Sincerely,

Flona Patten

And this is why we do what we do.  Thanks Flona.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.

Well here we are in mid-April.  The weather is getting warmer (thank heavens), the days are getting longer and just a few subway stops away on the 4 train, the most successful team in all of sports is doing its thing again.  That’s right, the New York Yankees are back in action powering their way atop the American League.  So that got me to thinking about all of the similarities and differences between the New York Yankees and ABC Training Center – 2 great NYC  winning traditions, Bronx style.  A sort of Tale of the Tape, if you will.  Drum roll please…

Play Ball.

Questions? Comments?  Contact us at abctrain1@aol.com.