*raises hand*
Posted By: QAer on 2007-09-10
In Reply to: Career Step Course - Bobbi
I took the Career Step course. I didn't go full blast into it, but I still finished it in about 8 months if I recall.
A week after graduating I had 2 job offers. I ended up choosing the national company. I was on full QA at first, as is the norm for a new MT, and the person checking my reports was amazed that I had no prior medical experience and had never worked as an MT. I'm not a rocket scientist, trust me.  I do feel that Career Step gives you great knowledge and prepares you for being an MT.
That was 4-1/2 years ago, but a friend of mine went through the program just last year and had little trouble getting a job. I highly recommend CS, it's much cheaper and faster than other MT programs, all done from home, and IMO the training is top notch.
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Well let's see; no raises in years and even pay cuts,
lots of the good work going to India and other offshore countries leaving the difficult ESL dictators for us, lots of VR work that pays very little, especially when you have to retype a great deal of it, most companies only offer IC positions which offer no benefits, platforms that make it difficult to obtain lines, line counting programs that may/may not count lines correctly, usually shorting the MT; frequent periods of low work or no work at all. How is that for a start? If you are just looking at getting into this profession it doesn't make sense to spend a few thousand for school and then IF you can even get a job you probably aren't going to make enough $$ to pay your bills. Many people are enticed by the TV and magazine ads claiming you can make $40,000 while working at home after taking a correspondance class for a few months. It isn't going to happen. Sure you can make that much $$, but it will be 5 to 6 years down the road before you are good enough and that is based on rates now and no telling what they'll be like in the future.
On the other hand ...
Graduates of the top schools generally have no difficulty at all in becoming employed immediately after graduation. I recovered the cost of my Andrews training with my first paycheck. A long period of unemployment will likely cost considerably more than it would have cost to get proper training from a school that employers know turns out job-ready MTs. Employers generally are not willing to hire graduates from some schools for good reason--they have had bad experiences in the past and it is just not worth it to take a chance. The old adages have survived because they are true: Penny wise and pound foolish. You get what you pay for. This is not to say that you will not eventually find employment. It is very likely that you will; it is just going to take longer. I wish you good fortune in your search in in your career.
This is not first-hand information about M-Tec, but
I cannot recall ever seeing anything negative about any aspect of M-Tec on any MT board. I also do not recall ever hearing of any successful M-Tec graduate who was not able to find employment. The key to the success of schools like Andrews and M-Tec is that they prepare their students very thoroughly, and employers are well aware of the quality of their courses and are therfore eager to hire them. If I had it to do all over again, knowing what I know now, I would absolutely have no qualms about signing up with either Andrews or M-Tec. Hopefully, an M-Tec graduate will be able to give you a definitive answer about placement. M-Tec personnel have a reputation for integrity. I have never seen any negative comments about any of them on any MT board. It would seem quite safe to rely on any claims they make about their placement success.
If you notice a pain in your hand or thumb
or neck or shoulders or foot, the time to try a position change is immediately. That has worked for me.
Remember to get your exercise. That will protect your body more than anything else. Walking and Pilates or yoga, light weights with proper form are all good choices.
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