So I am weighing some options for continuing my education. I am currently pretty much qualified to do medical transcription (which I do not want to make a full time career out of) or medical front office work (which pays pretty poorly)

I no longer need suggestions as to what to pursue as I have choices narrowed down quite a bit but I am trying to figure out the portability of each career direction/choice that I have on my final list of jobs/careers.

I am looking at possibly 16 more years of being a military spouse (and at least 6 but I doubt he will retire at 20), so I am trying to not only find out the overall need but how hard it would be to find a job each time we move. Because my husband's AFSC is limited to a small number of bases, I do have an advantage of a "short list" of possible places we could live.

Besides searching for job listings to see what is available in different regions, checking the BLS occupational outlook handbook for growth projections, looking at the websites for associations (professional and educational) for that career, and talking to people in that field, anyone have any other suggestions?

I don't even need anyone to help me go through my choices, just let me know if I have not thought of a good way to research the field.

Thanks. Just trying to be thorough in my research before we make the investment.

You've pretty well got it nailed down on where to look. For transcription, you may want to check the AAMT website. I believe they list quite a few companies. The upside of transcription is that you can do it anywhere. I was able to move from the Atlanta area to the Orlando area and then to the Tampa area without ever changing jobs. In fact, I didn't even have to take a day off for any of the moves. You will definitely want to look for a company that does transcription over the internet as they pay more than hospitals (typically) and are more portable. The downside is that the work is hard.

For medical front office, you may want to consider Kaiser Permanente. They have clinics in many states and that could be a way to be portable without having to change employers. Assuming KP has clinics where you are and where you are going, you could just ask for a transfer.

Best of luck on this.

Thanks.

I am trying to build on past experience but move up from it through further education.

I found that while transcription was interesting, it was difficult for me to do 40 hours per week. I wouldn't mind doing it as part of a job, but I felt like I was becoming one with my chair and keyboard, and my shoulder developed muscle spasms that no amount of proper ergonomic positioning could relieve or prevent. I'd probably be ok if I did it an hour or two, and did other tasks as well, eg if I worked in a clinic and they used someone in-house to edit EMR or transcribe office visit notes.

My problem is before I invest more time and money I need to figure out if what I end up being qualified/certified/licensed (whatever) to do is something I can actually find work doing. Lord help me if I can't after doing that - I can just hear dh now: "what a waste of time and money!" (and believe me, his suggestions for me make me wonder if he has paid any attention to me over the past 12 yrs! Oh my!) Of course that adds a wonderful new dimension of anxiety to the decision process!

I appreciate your input. Thanks again!