Stay-at-Home Moms Have Much to Offer the Working World

Stay-at-home moms play a valuable role in the household, taking care of kids, cooking, cleaning, appointments and more. However, stay-at-home moms often don't realize how much they have to offer the working world. With the current economic situation, stay-at-home moms may feel pressure to enter the workforce and bring home a second paycheck.

All stay-at-home moms need is a little training in high demand fields such as healthcare, information technology or business to get on their feet and enter the working world. Medical billing and coding are popular careers for stay-at-home moms because there is the possibility of working from home. Plus, training is available online through continuing education programs such as Kaplan Continuing Education.

Fire Prevention Week is October 3-9, 2010

The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week is October 3-9, 2010. This year's theme is Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With and deals with the importance of smoke alarms in the home.

According to the NFPA, 2,755 people were killed and 13,160 were injured in home fires in 2008. 2/5ths of these deaths were in homes with no smoke alarms. Smoke alarms can reduce the risk of death by fire by half and knowing how to install and test smoke alarms can make your home a safer place.

Wednesday Webinar: The Importance of Cover Letters & Thank You Notes

Past, Present and Future Kaplan Continuing Education students can benefit from this week’s Wednesday Webinar on the importance of resume cover letters and thank you notes in landing a job.

Employers don’t just look at your resume any more. Now they come to expect a cover letter where you can showcase your personality, as well as a thank you note after your interview. These two additional steps can make you stand out as an applicant and will put you that much closer to securing a job.

Tune in Wednesday, September 22 at 9:00 PM EST for insider tips about writing the perfect cover letter and thank you notes.

Follow the link in your classroom: Basic Training – Cover Letters and Thank You Letters to attend.

Medical Billing Continuing Education Programs

Medical billing continuing education programs, like those offered by Kaplan Continuing Education, offer courses which prepare students to work in the healthcare field including hospitals, doctors’ offices and insurance companies. Thanks to widespread use of the internet, many medical billers are also able to work from home.

The medical billing field is projected to grow through 2018 and salaries for medical billers average around $25,000 a year.

7 Tips to Succeeding in Online Continuing Education

While the online continuing education program you choose can determine how successful you will be in completing a continuing education certificate, your personal motivation also plays a tremendous role.

Here are some tips for success in an online continuing education program:
1. Get to know the process – Online learning is different than traditional school, learn the ins and outs of communication and how to get help before enrolling in courses.
2. Take notes – Although your lectures and courses are online, you should still jot down notes and any questions you have.
3. Be active – Actively participate in online lectures and discussions.
4. Improve your writing skills – Communication between students and instructors are usually via email and many assignments submitted are in the form of formal essays.
5. Be courteous – Watching your tone is important when communicating online via email, IM and video conferences.
6. Respect your instructors – Have a good repertoire with your instructors, be polite in communication and they will be valuable references for future career opportunities.
7. Be committed to education – The bottom line is, you are taking an online education program to learn.

EMS Expo September 27 - October 1

The 2010 EMS Expo will be held September 27 - October 1 at the Dallas Convention Center.

EMS Expo is the largest EMS conference and trade show in North America and features educational programs and exhibits.

September is National Preparedness Month!

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The purpose of NPM is to raise awareness and promote action involving emergency services among communities nationwide.

The theme for 2010 is “Plan Now. Work Together. Be Ready.” For more information about NPM visit the Resource Center.