So here we are! A new year, a new beginning is what people often think. A chance to start over, start something new, or change. I can honestly say I am excited for 2014, 2013 was not my favorite yet. We had some really good milestones happen during 2014 but I am more excited to see what 2014 holds for my little family.
Looking back, I started this course in July 2013 and I wanted to finish by end January 2014. Well, seeing as I am not even half way done and I only have a month left I won't be finishing by the end of January. Between getting pregnant and being so sick for a lot longer than usual, I took some time off. And then I didn't touch my course work between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is a month off! I guess that is a perk to online coursework but the other day I started to think about what my motivation is for this course. I wanted to sign up for this course to help me personally. I had just graduated from college within the year and I missed learning and having something to do for myself. But somewhere along the way I kind of lost my motivation. But over November and December between traveling to visit family and buying Christmas gifts and all the other expenses that come with the holidays, I found that funds were a little tight. My husband only graduated from college a year ago and is slowly working his way up in his firm plus both our student loans are coming due! So after talking it over with my husband we agreed that we needed to rework our finances which meant a little less spending money for me each month. My spending is broken up into various things but in order to make it work that means less shopping, less lunch play dates, less eating out, and so on. So I have found my new motivation! I want to hurry up and finish this program and get a job so I can have more money! I know that is the main purpose many of you have signed up for this course (or are considering it). And trust me, the money was a reasoning for me too. But I just pictured the money going into our account and just going to bills and expenses. But my husband doesn't want me to feel obligated to support this family. And we agreed that any money I earn should be spent on whatever we wanted/needed and not on the main expenses (if we can manage that). I want to be able to go out with my girls friends to see movies and buy new clothes, and go on fun play dates. I want to finish this program by April (since baby #3 comes in April) and get the ball rolling. Mama needs a new pair of shoes!
And don't forget, you can earn money while working on the course through referrals. So, if you want to sign up for any course through Career Step please use my referrals link or name (Jenna Smith) when you enroll. Thank you much!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Staying Connected
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Friday, November 22, 2013
Feeling Accomplished
Today was a big day for me. I finally finished a HUGE module that I have been working on for a long time. it said that module would only take 25 hours but between morning sickness (all day), packing, moving, unpacking- I took about a month break mid-module. I feel so accomplished. I just started module 9 of 23 but I am feeling good since I started in July. I will take these small victories in stride! That is something very important to remember when signing up for any online course through Career Step or anywhere. Time management! I try so hard to mange my time and make time for homework daily because if I can't make time to do homework how will I make time to work and earn money!? The benefit to this online program is you get to self-pace which helps you keep up with the daily events of life or those unexpected events that come up. But it is still super important to keep to some type of schedule. Career Step actually offers a schedule planner- you put any how many hours you want to work in a given week and it tells you your projected end date. Or you put in the date you want to finish by and it tells you how many hours you need to work each week. And with whatever option you pick, it generates a list of all the modules with their suggest hours and the dates you should complete them by. It is super handy and easy to use. I highly recommend using it. I have to adjust mine probably weekly because sometimes I just don't finish right on time. You will get the hang of it. Mange your time wisely now and get in a schedule/routine and it will help you be better prepared to earn money from home when you finish! Earning money from home based around a schedule you set up? What couldn't be better!
Speaking of which, did you know you could start earning money while working on the homework? That is correct. I have earned $200 so far from referrals! My sister-in-law signed up about a month after me (after she saw it wasn't a scam) and another mother from my mommy group signed up. I don't really push the referral process on people because this program is pricey and you need to be committed and interested! But every so often I share the link on Facebook or when people ask me "what I do". The referral program is a great way to start help earning money while doing the course work. And Career Step has a great referral program and blog to help you out. So here is my plug for you readers- if you sign up, please mention my name upon signing up or use my referral link!
Speaking of which, did you know you could start earning money while working on the homework? That is correct. I have earned $200 so far from referrals! My sister-in-law signed up about a month after me (after she saw it wasn't a scam) and another mother from my mommy group signed up. I don't really push the referral process on people because this program is pricey and you need to be committed and interested! But every so often I share the link on Facebook or when people ask me "what I do". The referral program is a great way to start help earning money while doing the course work. And Career Step has a great referral program and blog to help you out. So here is my plug for you readers- if you sign up, please mention my name upon signing up or use my referral link!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Career Step Programs
If you haven't had a chance to look at the Career Step program then you probably didn't realize they offer 9 different programs. Yes, 9! I am currently working on the MTE program (Medical Transcription Editing). Instead of actually listening to the doctor's voice recordings and typing out the medical report, the doctor's record their reports on a voice machine which then transfers it to text. Then I get the text and basically edit and proof read everything. Let me say this- this is not a dying industry. There is actually a greater need for MTEs because the recording systems are only about 70% accurate and medical terminology can sound so similar with the same prefixes and suffixes. Plus, MTEs are need to make sure the doctor used the right terminology! We have a very important role in the medical field, more than you realize. But of course there are 8 other programs that could fit you better than than program I am working on. Below is a list of all the programs with links. Some are work from home, some are not. Read through their requirements, time lengths, and possible job opportunities upon completion. I am sure there is something that will fit your life style and interest.
COMPUTER TECHNICIAN.
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS OFFICE PROFESSIONAL
Career Step is always running different specials like discount tuition, Kindle Fires, or iPads to name a few. And one of the specials right now is mentioning my name when you sign up for free shipping on your supplies. But definitely look into their other programs and specials.
Continue working hard looking into what your future holds and if Career Step is an valuable option for you. I am no expert on all these programs, and I haven't even finished up my program yet but you can contact Career Step directly for plenty of help! Enjoy!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Welcome To My Career Step Journey
Let me start off with welcoming you to my little blog. I feel like I should explain my back story and what brought me to Career Step. Please bare with me while I ramble on about my little family and our lives. This background information is important, at least to me.
My name is Jenna and I am a stay at home mom with a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences. I graduated from BYU in Provo, Utah April 2012 after recently giving birth to my second child. I am currently pregnant with my third baby and due at the end of April 2014. My husband graduated from BYU in December 2012 with his Master's degree in accounting and currently works in downtime Salt Lake City for one of the "Big 4" accounting firms. We purchased our first home in September 2013 and we are still trying to adjust to changing little life. As a sit here typing out this first blog post, my 19 month old is taking her nap and my 3 and half year old is playing an educational computer game right to me (I just had to state is was educational to be funny but seriously, she is enjoying herself and learning some colors so I can peacefully/ frantically type this up before her sister wakes up from her nap).
Any way. Now the main question why you are here (if you haven't already left):
Is Career Step really an option for me?
Now here is why my background story was important! I decided to enroll in Career Step for many reasons. I have young children (and I am currently growing a child) and I want/need to be home with them. To each their own about child care and babysitters- that is not a topic I want to discuss here. I wanted something where I could be home with my children but still be working my brain. Which brings me to another reason why I enrolled in Career Step. I missed college. I loved going to school and taking classes. I love to learn and to have my mind challenged. I looked in graduate school after I graduated but nothing seemed right for me. I wanted something there I could continue my education, work at my pace, but also see a real "return" on my education. And here is another reason for enrolling in Career Step, the money! I don't want to sound greedy but if I was going to pay X amount of money for a program after already having X amount in student loans from my college degree, I wanted to see some money come back! Career Step has amazing resources to help you find a job after you finish the program. I actually found this program because my friend had already completed the program and had a job. I loved that I already knew someone who had done the whole program and actually had a job in the field. I asked her so many questions before I enrolled- I wanted to be confident that I wasn't signing up for a scam or for a career where I wouldn't be able to find a job after completion. And that finally brings us to the reason I started this blog. To help others realize their full potential when it comes to enrolling in Career Step. This is a legit schooling option which plenty of job options after you complete the program.
The list of reasons why I enrolled will go on and go, some more general and some reasons are actually personal. But forever reason you want to enroll, don't hesitate. I am actually only a few money into the course and I am trying to work on the program daily. So my goal is to blog about my journey through this program so others can actually read about progress, about how the program works, and get some real examples of what they will be doing once they enroll. You don't need to be a stay at home mom, a college graduate, or be anything like me to enroll. (Side note: my brother moved out of state for college and he needed to work and wait for residency before he could actually afford going to college. So, if my brother would have known about this program before hand, he could have signed up and worked on the program online while working at his other job. Then when he hit his residency after a year he would have also hit his completion mark for the program. Then he would have been able to work from home/online and take whatever college courses he needed/wanted without worrying about working around his work schedule). That is just one example about how this program can help you. It can be a stepping stone for your next step in life. It can be the career you have been looking for. It can be anything you want it to be.
The main reason I decided to do this program was give myself a stronger feeling of self-worth. I love being a mother, I love being a stay at home mom, and I love having a college degree despite my lack of using it in a professional setting. But I am only human and my insecurities got the best of me and I needed to have a project for myself. I wanted to have something to work on daily to help me personally. And this program does just that.
Thanks for joining me on my journey through Career Step. I will blog as often as I see fit. Feel free to comment with any questions about the program. This blog is merely here for help and as a little outlet for me. Please be respectful with comments and please don't steal!
Thanks!
Jenna B.
Remember, I am writing this between nap time, cleaning the house, laundry, and actually working on my Career Step homework. Sorry for the typos or incomplete thoughts. I barely have time to write let along proof read all the time. Thanks for understanding. Now I must tend to a screaming baby and change a diaper. Joy!
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