Exploring Specialized Fields Series, Part 1: Employment Projections and Areas of Specialization

To be certified or not to be certified? That is the question. Certification offers you some additional credibility in that it proves you've taken the initiative to upgrade your skills and have demonstrated your competency. And, in today's job market, having any kind of edge is a necessity.

For office professionals, there is a wide variety of specialty areas in which you can become certified. Three of the most common are medical assistance, legal assistance and court reporting. Specialization in one of these areas could increase your income and offer you a lifelong career that is rewarding both financially and personally.

In the next few articles, I will examine each of these three jobs and certifications in detail. I will discuss the skills needed, as well as the various certification and degree programs available. I'll explore the employment outlook for these positions, the cost of additional education, and even provide suggestions on how to locate an educational program that's suited for you.

As I begin this series of articles, I invite you to respond in the discussion threads.

If you're currently working in these fields, we're interested in knowing:

• What do you find most satisfying about your job?
• What new skills have you acquired?
• Has working in a specialized field increased your income?
• What advice would you give someone thinking about certification as a medical assistant, paralegal or court reporter?

If you're considering a specialization:

• Why are you thinking about a specialized area?
• What may be hindering you from moving forward?
• What do you need most from your job that you may not currently have: income, personal satisfaction or the opportunity to learn new things?
• Do you have questions about education?

Before we discuss each of the specialized areas, let's first explore the job outlook and required skills and education for administrative professionals (AP) in general. Most APs gain entry into the field in an unspecialized area where they gain basic required skills. Also, before we discuss specialization in the medical, legal or judicial occupations, you should know the good news.

Labor Predictions for APs

There is some good news for those working as administrative professionals; the US Department of Labor (USDOL) projects that there will be continued growth in job opportunities. We all like to hear that good news - especially in this job market! So, if you're here with us at OfficeArrow to grow as an administrative professional, you're in the right place!

USDOL statistics indicate that, in 2006, there were 4.2 million jobs in the general category of administrative professionals. So, if you're not in a specialized field of administration, the job market is still good for you. The breakdown of jobs in the field is as follows:

• 1.9 million are outside the legal, medical or executive secretary categories.
• 1.6 million are considered executive secretaries and administrative assistants.
• 500,000 jobs were filled by medical assistants.
• 250,000 jobs were filled by legal secretaries.

Projections indicate that the general field of administration is expected to rise 9 percent between 2006 and 2016. So, we should be experiencing an overall increase in job opportunities.

(Note: The projected 9-percent increase was posted on the USDOL website on Dec. 18, 2007, prior to the recent economic downturn. There are no statistics available to indicate any possible increases or decreases in that 9-percent percentage projection since December 2007.)

Also, for those of us who enjoy learning new skills on the job, APs are being asked to do more than simple clerical work. For example, these occupations are increasingly requiring strong communication skills; APs are often assigned the role of information and communication managers. Communicating information takes a more sophisticated and mature skill set that requires finesse and competency.

Prerequisite Skills for APs

As many of you may know, to gain entry into the field as a general AP, a high-school graduate who possesses basic office skills may apply for entry-level positions. These skills must include a high degree of competency in software applications. The reliance of technology in the office setting is only expected to increase.

The USDOL categorizes secretaries and administrative assistants as separate from executive secretaries. They also provide definitions for legal secretaries and medical assistants. Here's what distinguishes the four occupation categories:

1. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (except executive, medical and legal):

Tasks may include creating spreadsheets, managing databases, creating presentations and reports, negotiating with vendors, and purchasing supplies. Notably, since the advent of computers in the past 20 years, managers are doing most of the work previously assigned to APs. This has led to a greater variety of assigned tasks, rather than a decrease in tasks.

2. Executive Assistants:

Executive assistants are assigned to support top executives of the organization. They're asked to arrange conference calls and supervise other clerical staff. They may handle more complex responsibilities, such as reviewing incoming memos, submissions and reports in order to determine their significance and to plan for their distribution. They also prepare agendas and make arrangements for committee and executive board meetings, conduct research, and prepare statistical reports.

3. Medical Assistants:

They're asked to transcribe dictation, prepare correspondence, and assist physicians or medical scientists with reports, speeches, articles and conference proceedings. They also record simple medical histories, arrange for patients to be hospitalized, and order supplies. Most medical secretaries need to be familiar with insurance rules, billing practices, and hospital or laboratory procedures.

4. Legal Secretaries (also called Paralegals):

They prepare correspondence and legal papers, such as summons, complaints, motions, responses and subpoenas under the supervision of an attorney or another paralegal. They also may review legal journals and assist with legal research - for example, by verifying quotes and citations in legal briefs.

More Information to Come

In the next three articles in this series, we will further explore the specialized occupations of medical assistants, legal secretaries and paralegals, and court reporting. As mentioned earlier, you're invited to respond on the discussion threads about your experiences and questions.