Posts Tagged ‘Pitman Training Diplomas’

The Role of a Medical Secretary

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Career Details
A medical secretary usually works in a hospital or medical office and is responsible for performing highly specialised secretarial duties that include scheduling appointments, billing patients, compiling medical charts and reports and handling correspondence. They may also assist doctors with writing reports, speeches and articles, arrange for patient hospitalisation, bill insurance companies and order supplies. If you hope to become a medical secretary you must not only possess a cornucopia of skills; but you must also have a knack for detail work and be a good communicator. A secretarial position within the medical profession is the best of both worlds for some - a responsible office job plus the satisfaction of being involved with people’s health and possibly even contact with patients. That’s why specialist Medical Secretarial jobs are very well regarded.

The Pitman Training Medical Secretary Diploma covers a comprehensive range of practical skills and information, essential for a secretary working in the medical profession. The course has short course approval from the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR).

“Choosing the Medical Secretarial Diploma was the bravest and best decision I have ever made. I am now employed as secretary to one of the Gastroenterologists at St Peter’s Hospital.”

Medical secretaries fulfil a crucial role as the link between doctor and patient, and for this reason are required to be tactful, discreet and, above all, sensitive. Of the greatest importance, however, is the secretary’s ability to successfully complete a complex array of administrative and technical tasks relating to the job, such as compiling confidential letters, typing reports for patient records and medical journals and ensuring the general flawless running of the office. Medical secretaries are also expected by employers in the healthcare sector to be proficient in medical terminology, medical audio-typing and medical word processing skills. Nationally recognised skills for medical secretaries are generally considered to be advantageous to any individual seeking employment in this sector. The Pitman Training Medical Secretarial Diploma combines expert secretarial skills with a broad understanding of medical terminology, to enable individuals to apply for jobs within the healthcare sector.

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Secretary Courses Underpin The Professional Secretarial Career.

Friday, February 26th, 2010

The secretarial job market remains in a state of rude good health despite the recession and demand for these highly skilled staff, the “backbone of the office,” is stronger than for other roles such administrative assistants and clerks.

Such demand is probably a reflection of the high standards demanded by employers as they strive to obtain maximum productivity from every employee.

And as secretaries tend to be highly trained, they have the ability to deliver measurable value to a business.

Achieving these standards is not a matter of luck but rather investment in secretary courses and related training programmes and it is fair to say that the secretary is often the most highly trained of all the administrative staff.

He or she will have taken skill specific secretary courses to learn typing, shorthand, audio transcription and technical subjects such as minute-taking and letter layout.

In addition, it will have been necessary to learn about the information technology used in the job, such as computer studies and software packages including Microsoft’s Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access.

Without structured secretary courses, it would be very difficult to pick up sufficient knowledge, skill and competence to deliver work to the standard required.

And it would be even harder to become a medical secretary, legal secretary, paralegal or executive pa without having taken a number of secretary courses.

For most students embarking on secretarial careers, Pitman Training is the first port of call.

Sir Isaac Pitman launched his world-renowned shorthand method in 1837 and the Pitman name remains the byword for secretary courses to this day.

Nowadays, every Pitman Training centre seeks to replicate an office environment rather than a college or institute and they are leaders in self-paced education for the office skills sector.

Fleur Creed, Principal of the Pitman Training centres in Carlow, Gorey, Kilkenny and Wexford claims that this focus on the study environment linked with the learning methodology form the basis for the continuing professional respect enjoyed by Pitman trained secretaries.

“There is no doubt that the amount of practical study time and the reflection of what it is really like to be a high level secretary, as well as the coursework we demand results in a skill set and an attitude that says ‘I’m not just trained, I’m Pitman trained.’”

Recruiters and employers seem to agree, as anyone listing secretary courses from Pitman Training on their CV’s seems to have a definite competitive advantage when it comes to getting great jobs.

The continuing recession in the economy has made the need for professional studies even greater as downsizing has meant that secretaries face an increasingly large workload, handling tasks previously performed by colleagues whose roles have been made redundant.

Those who have the knowledge to harness technology to perform these extra duties and who have learned to organise the resources available to them can continue to provide invaluable business support to their bosses.

And at the same time they can manage the stress that additional responsibility brings.

In many ways, the recession has shown that cream rises to the top and the best way to be part of the cream is to ensure that you have the education and skills to shine.

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Take Your Future in Your Own Hands with Pitman Training

Monday, July 6th, 2009

For workers re-entering the workforce or considering a career change, the problems arise when deciding which skills to train in. The following are tips in helping you take your future into your own hands and gaining back the confidence redundancy make have taken away. Source: Pitman Training Ireland Blog 

1. Make a list of what you enjoyed about your previous position, what were your strengths in your job, what skill did people seek you out for help. Once you’ve identified what particular skills you enjoyed and were confident in you’re on your way to strengthening these and perhaps identify roles were these strengths are required. For example if you found you were the organiser in your company perhaps secretarial work would be enjoyable for you. If you found you were the fixer of all things technical perhaps looking into business management systems may be an option.

2. Not all redundancies mean you must consider a complete change in career. If your company kept some employees on board and let others, like yourself go, look at what skills they may possess that you could up skill in.

3. Cross Training can make you more employable. Adding to your skill set may make you more flexible in positions are thereby more valuable to a company. For example a sales person who also has marketing skills, or a personal assistant who also has book keeping knowledge.

4. Look at your weaknesses.  We all hate to admit it but there are things we can’t do well or more likely feel we can’t do. If there are areas you always hid under the desk to avoid in your previous job, now is the time to get proper training. If you shivered at the thought of answering customer complaints or went pale at the thought of creating budgets in Excel, proper training could turn these into strengths.

5. Get certified. Employers have a choice of who to take for a job. Even if you have some experience from previous roles, the current climate dictates that you must have the qualification to back it up.

6. Don’t rule anything out. Be open minded as to what you can do, check with a Pitman course advisor as to what roles are available and how your experience can fit in. Sometimes there is a link you would never find yourself.

7. Training will boost your self esteem and can give you the confidence to apply for positions you wouldn’t have before.

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Invest in your self!. Upskill your workplace skills by retraining with a Pitman Training certified training course.

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Deciding where to invest your money has never been tougher; property, stocks and shares and even high street banks don’t seem to offer the security or return that many of us are looking for. Training and skills experts, Pitman Training are recommending that if you want to secure your future, one of the safest financial investments is in yourself.

Claire Lister is managing director of Pitman Training Group. With over 100 training centres throughout the UK and Ireland, the company has considerable experience in helping people to develop new skills and increase their earning potential. Claire says; “Our experience shows that people who invest in themselves and their skills always see a return on investment. Whilst training involves far more than a financial injection of capital – you need to commit time, energy and hard work into training – the potential returns can be enormous.”

Pitman Training is urging people to focus on themselves this winter in order to reap the rewards before spring arrives. Anyone wishing to boost their promotion prospects, kick-start their career or change direction can register at their local centre for a free career consultation. An experienced training advisor will provide practical recommendations on training which could help the individual plan for a happier and more successful working life. By using the colder months as an opportunity to invest in themselves, people in could end up with a raft of new skills, an impressive CV and a vastly improved earning potential.

“As the world of commerce and industry becomes tougher, employers are becoming more and more demanding,” explains Claire. “They want staff who are well-skilled and prepared to invest in themselves and their personal development. Many bosses are looking for candidates whose CV shows that they have proven, practical, office-focused skills which will enable them to hit the ground running when they start a new job. In a challenging economic climate bosses can’t afford to take chances on people who don’t have certificates to back up their skills and experience.”

“Importantly, learning a practical new skill which will really enhance your career prospects needn’t take forever,” continues Claire. “The Pitman Training approach means that you can start a course as soon as you’re ready – you don’t have to wait for the start of a new term. You learn at times that suit you and can complete your course as quickly, or slowly, as you want to, fitting your studies in around work or personal commitments.”

“For example, if you’ve decided on a career as a legal secretary, you could opt to study for a full time Legal Secretarial Diploma. Within 7 to 12 weeks you will have all the specialist skills that any employer would be looking for from a legal secretary and the certificate to prove it,” Claire says. “Alternatively if you already work in an office environment and want to enhance your promotion prospects while you work, you could study part time for the Microsoft Office Plus course. In 7 to 12 weeks you’ll cover advanced Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook and be ready to show any employer that you really mean business.”

Courses on offer at Pitman Training range from basic computing and keyboard skills to advanced secretarial diplomas, book-keeping and even web design. Technical IT courses, including MCSA, MCSE and A+ are also available for those wishing to pursue a career as computer engineers.

Genesis Business College offers the full range of Pitman Training Courses in Carlow, Gorey, Kilkenny and Wexford.

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Shhhh…don’t tell the children, but adult learning is more fun!

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Survey reveals that 78% prefer learning as an adult

 

Children all over Ireland head off to school every day, excited by lots of new things to learn.  But what about the Mams and Dads who wave them off?  A survey has revealed that whilst school days are apparently the best days of your life, a massive 78% prefer learning as an adult to learning at school. So perhaps the new school term could be a catalyst for kick-starting your career.

 

The start of the new school term can mean that many parents finally have a bit more time on their hands.  As they watch their children take the next steps on the education ladder they may feel inspired to consider their own future and career prospects. But going back into education can feel like a scary prospect for many people who have taken a career break to raise a family.  

 

The online survey of 300 adults, carried out by IT and office skills training specialists Pitman Training Group, also discovered that 47% wish they had tried harder at school and that nearly half of those surveyed (48.4%) left school without the skills necessary to get the job they wanted. 

 

One of the most exciting things about learning as an adult is the self confidence that it can help you gain.  Some people who come to Pitman Training Centres really didn’t enjoy school and often left with few or no qualifications.  As a result they have low self-esteem and little belief in their own abilities and prospects.  Those who have completely devoted themselves to bringing up a family often put aside their own ambitions; by the time their children are more independent they believe they are completely unemployable

 

It’s wonderful to see them start to change after only a few sessions of learning about a subject they are interested in. As they begin to develop new skills in a friendly and supportive environment they begin to see that they can achieve far more than they thought possible

 

Whilst some people who come to us have a clear career path and want to improve their skills to help them get into a specific job, we also work with people who have no idea what they would like to do.  Many have taken a complete break from work to raise a family and the start of the new school year can be a new beginning not just for their kids, but for them too.

 

 

Whilst it might sound like a grand claim, updating existing skills, or learning a complete set of new ones, really can give people a new lease of life.

 

Because Pitman Training qualifications are well-known and well-respected by employers, many students go on to get jobs that they really want.  Not only can people aim for a career which they enjoy – the better qualified they are, the more money they can hope to earn.

 

Pitman Training specialises in delivering practical, work-focused training designed to help people progress in their chosen career.  From basic PC skills to advanced IT certificates, book-keeping to IT web-design; courses are self-paced allowing students to choose their own study times.  Learners follow audio tuition plus a workbook and a tutor is always on hand to provide help and encouragement.

 

In addition to short courses Pitman Training offers longer term Diploma programmes.  Each Diploma consists of a range of modules covering a comprehensive range of IT and office skills.  Students can then opt for specialist modules such as legal practice, medical terminology, marketing, book-keeping or accounts.  They will then be fully equipped with the relevant skills needed to get ahead in a range of careers including Legal Secretary, Executive PA, Accounting Technician or Medical Secretary.

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