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Pharmacy Tech Jobs In California

Technology medicine: as many as 425,000 high-tech jobs may go unfilled in coming years

DANIEL FLAKE, 20, A MIDSHIPMAN AT THE U.S. NAVAL Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, always dreamed of becoming an astronaut and traveling to Mars. To make his career goal a reality, Flake has a coordinated plan--his very own mission to Mars, if you will. First came a high school course load heavy on math and science. Second, Flake researched colleges with strong aerospace engineering programs--the military academies, Embry-Riddle University, Texas A&M. (He chose the Naval Academy partly due to the school's strong record of turning out astronauts.) Next on his agenda after graduation will be fulfillment of his five-year service commitment to the Navy, as well as a stint in flight school. After years of hard work and flight training, Flake hopes to get noticed and hired by NASA.

"The big selling point of the academy was that I'm guaranteed a job, and I'll be following in the career footsteps of astronauts," he says.

If, like Flake, your idea of the perfect school day includes studying physics, dissecting frogs, or programming computers, then a career in technology or medicine may be for you. And developing your own mission plan now can only increase your chances for success.

TECHNOLOGY

While the heady, go-go atmosphere of Internet start-ups and stock options may be history, tech industries are here to stay.

A recent study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reported that as many as 425,000 high-tech jobs would go unfilled in coming years. But how has the flat economy affected this prediction? "Demand certainly isn't where it was," admits Marjorie Bynum, vice president of workforce development for the ITAA. "But what we're hearing is that companies are still looking for good people with IT skills." The good news is that job markets rebound, and for high school students looking to enter the workforce in two to four years, technology careers are a good bet.

The BLS reports that five of the top 10 fastest growing jobs are tech-related--computer engineers, computer support specialists, systems analysts, database administrators, and desktop publishing specialists.

"It's never too soon to begin talking to guidance counselors and doing some homework on different IT careers," says Bynum. She also suggests boning up on English, reading, and communication skills, which are important for well-rounded employees seeking promotions. While a bachelor's degree can lead to great-paying jobs, many community colleges can prepare you for tech jobs, too.

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Jana Mitchell always wanted to be a nurse. "I find the human body fascinating," she says. "Plus, I enjoy helping people." A job-shadowing project where she followed a hospital nurse convinced her further. Mitchell, 20, is now studying nursing at Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The good news for Mitchell is that the BLS projects that by 2006 health care services will jump 30 percent and account for 3.1 million new jobs. An aging population will need more services-continued care, therapy, and rehabilitation. Opportunities for nurses and physicians are expected to grow. On average advanced-practice nurses, with training beyond the two to four years of basic nursing education, earn $47,700 to $82,000 per year. Physicians earn about $102,000 per year.

But those salaries come at a price. Becoming a physician requires 12 years of expensive training. The average medical student graduates with a $100,000 debt. Physicians often work long, irregular hours. Still, most find treating patients to be rewarding. See "Allied Health" below for information on other health care careers.

SYSTEMS ANALYST

Alex Thompson

AGE: 26

LOCATION: Fort Gordon, GA

JOB: Information systems operator/analyst for the U.S. Army

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in political science from Jackson State University in Mississippi. Analysts must be familiar with computer programs, including Unix, Windows, and Microsoft Office.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $55,973.

ON THE JOB: "The military wants to be on top of the latest technology," says Thompson, whose rank is "Specialist" (SPC). Army, Navy, and Air Force members who need technology training go to Fort Gordon, which is the headquarters of the U.S. Army Signal Center and home to the School of Information Technology. Throughout the day, Thompson receives work orders to de-bug (remove errors from), analyze, install, and maintain computer hardware and software. He may be protecting computers from viruses or updating systems with the latest versions of software. Thompson must constantly keep up with new technology. He and his colleagues often share information about solutions to computer problems. "You've got to be willing to learn from everybody," he says. His last big project was to upgrade a whole classroom. Every so often, Thompson confronts a new problem and must "be creative to find a solution."

STARTING OUT: "I have always loved computers," Thompson says. His penchant for technology followed him into high school, where he took computer management classes, and college, where he worked on a minor in computer science.

REWARDS: Thompson enjoys the variety of his job, because there are "different things to do every day." Systems analysts solve technical glitches and help their organization get the most from its computer resources. Sometimes evening or weekend work may be required to solve certain problems. Attracted to the Army for the opportunity to do something he loved and pay off college loans (the Army will pay off either one-third of the debt or $1,500 for each year of service), Thompson calls it "one of the best moves I ever made."

CHALLENGES: Military security demands up to twice the amount of encryption used on civilian computers: "Right now, Internet security [needs to be] high. If we let down our security, communications can be cut off. We are running checks and tests on the network for weak entry points or possible backdoors. We keep everything as secure as possible," he says.

MORE INFO: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, www.computer.org; U.S. Army, www.goarmy.com

Jami Dittus

PHARMACIST

Nadina Powell

AGE: 28

LOCATION: Franklin Lakes, NJ

JOB: Pharmacist/Pharmacy Practice Resident, Merck-Medco

EDUCATION: Powell earned a bachelor's degree in environmental chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, a master's degree in chemistry from California State University in Los Angeles, and a doctorate of pharmacy from Howard University in Washington, DC. Pharmacists must get a degree from a college of pharmacy, do an internship, and pass a state licensing exam.

SALARY: Pharmacy residents earn about $30,000, according to Powell. Drug store and staff pharmacists earn about $63,400.

ON THE JOB: While many pharmacists work in drug stores, some work in hospital, clinical, or managed care settings. As a pharmacy practice resident for Merck-Medco, which provides prescription drug benefits to 65 million people, Powell does more than just dispense pills. Like a medical resident, she rotates to different sections of the benefits management division to learn all aspects of the job. A typical day might include reviewing a formulary (a list of medications covered under a pharmacy benefit), researching questions about prescriptions, and counseling patients by phone. Powell is part of a team of pharmacists that contacts patients with multiple sclerosis to counsel them on the proper use and side effects of their medications.

STARTING OUT: As a chemistry graduate student, Powell worked in a pharmacy and became intrigued by the career and its emphasis on anatomy, microbiology, and physiology.

REWARDS: Powell helps make recommendations to Merck-Medco pharmacists nationwide. "In managed care, every program I help to develop impacts millions of lives."

CHALLENGES: "[My job] differs from a dispensing pharmacy environment because I have several projects to choose from. It's hard to pick one. I want to do it all!"

MORE INFO: The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, www.amcp.org; Merck-Medco careers. www.merck-medcooharmcareers.com

COMPUTER GAMES ANIMATOR

Courtnay Sander

Jamie Chu

AGE: 21

LOCATION: San Mateo, CA

JOB: 3-D animator for Secret Weapon, a company that develops and designs computer games, such as World Series Baseball XBOX and Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour 2001.

EDUCATION: Chu took an intensive 14-month 3-D animation program at Ex'pression Center for New Media in Emeryville, CA.

SALARY: According to Game Developer, game artists may earn $61,000 a year.

ON THE JOB: Chu uses Maya, 3-D animation software, for "modeling" characters, objects, and backgrounds. She uses techniques such as "texture mapping" to create landscapes. "I recently helped create fantasy golf courses for a coin-operated game," says Chu. "For one game, I had to 'map' the faces of real players and fit them to [computer-generated] models." Chu works on a team with seven men. They meet every morning to review work from the day before, and then each animator works on his or her portion of a game's development.

STARTING OUT: "I always loved to draw and paint, and when I saw Toy Story and A Bug's Life, I was amazed," says Chu. Those films inspired her to pursue a career that combines technology with art.

REWARDS: "When I see a game I worked on in the stores, I think that that's my blood, sweat, and tears and it's going to make people happy."

CHALLENGES: "You don't see your friends. When it's crunch time at the end of a project you work from early in the morning to late at night."

MORE INFO: Ex'pression Center for New Media, www.expression.edu.

Don Rauf

CHIROPRACTOR

Bryen Bell

AGE: 31

LOCATION: Beverly Hills, CA

JOB: Runs his own chiropractic practice.

EDUCATION: All states grant licenses to those who meet educational and exam requirements, and they require completion of a four-year chiropractic college course. Dr. Bell received his degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles.

SALARY: Median annual earnings of salaried chiropractors were $63,930 in 1998.

ON THE JOB: Chiropractors treat health problems associated with muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems. They must be able to detect physical abnormalities and perform bodily adjustments. "A chiropractor's primary focus is the spine," says Bell. "I often treat back and neck pain due to car accidents, sports injuries, or bad posture. I do everything a regular doctor does--I read X-rays, take lab samples, and diagnose. I cannot prescribe medicines; my treatment is adjustment. I work with my hands to set bone back in place. I may provide lower back supports, knee supports, or neck braces. I also create orthotics to support the feet--if your feet aren't supported right that can affect your neck." Bell adds that educating patients about exercise and nutrition is an essential part of the job. As the team doctor for the L.A. Avengers, an arena football team, Bell also treats players for neck injuries, sprains, and disc and joint problems.

STARTING OUT: "I had broken my neck as a rugby player at the University of Portland in Oregon. I was treated by a chiropractor who changed my life. That gave me a passion to pursue this career."

REWARDS: "You're really helping people in a unique way--you're not just prescribing a pill. It's a physical job and you also use your brain."

CHALLENGES: "I'm my own boss, so I'm in charge of everything from accounting to marketing to what goes on at the front desk."

MORE INFO: The American Chiropractic Association, www.amerchiro.org; or Cleveland Chiropractic College, www.clevelandchirorpractic.edu

Don Rauf

MARINE BIOLOGIST

Megan Getz

AGE: 32

LOCATION: San Antonio, TX

JOB: Senior animal care specialist, SeaWorld

EDUCATION: A degree in a life science is required. Getz holds a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Texas, San Antonio.

SALARY: The average beginning salary for bachelor's degree recipients in biological science is $29,000 (National Association of Colleges and Employers). The median annual salary for biological scientists is $46,140.

ON THE JOB: Getz feeds the animals (1,200 pounds of fish that must be prepared and carried), helps with exhibit maintenance (such as cleaning pools or landscaping habitats), and assists vets with medical treatment of the mammals (such as injections, drawing blood, tube-feeding babies, and surgeries). Getz also writes down daily observations of 75 animals, looking for bite marks, scratches, and behavioral changes. "If Missy the sea lion is normally an active animal who loves to play, and today she's slumped in the corner, not eating, we'd report that to the vet," she says.

STARTING OUT: In high school, Getz got a job at SeaWorld sweeping trash and cleaning stadiums. During college, she served as an assistant in the animal care department, and then started as a full-time biologist in 1994.

REWARDS: "I get to work with animals, and I get paid for it!" Getz says. She has saved and rehabilitated "beachies," or animals stranded along the Texas coast. She has helped in the rehab of several dolphins, one of which is now a "mother" living at SeaWorld, and in 1996, she worked to save a malnourished, underweight, and dehydrated female manatee who was found in Houston after a bad storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

CHALLENGES: "I'm on call around the clock," says Getz, adding that there is often a real level of physical danger: "Sometimes you're trying to restrain a 700-pound sea lion." To do this, Getz and a team of workers lower the pool's water level and then operate a 22-ton crane equipped with a stretcher that has a hole for the animal's pectoral flippers. "This job is not about just playing with dolphins," she notes. "You have to clean up after these animals, and it can be smelly." She hoses own exhibit areas where seals, sea lions, and otters have slept. She also must scuba dive to scrub off the algae that forms on the sides of the dolphin tanks.

MORE INFO: American Zoo and Aquatic Association, www.aza.org; Marine Advanced Technology Education Center, marinetech.org

Courtnay Sander

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

Jeff Pahukoa

AGE: 33

LOCATION: Lake Stevens, WA

JOB: Electrical contractor apprentice for a company installing electricity for commercial and industrial facilities.

EDUCATION: To apprentice, candidates must have a high school diploma, basic reading and math skills, including a year of algebra. Apprenticeships take five years to complete and combine classroom lessons with on-the-job training, which pays about $8 to $9 an hour to start.

SALARY: Journeymen can earn as high as $60,000 to $70,000.

STARTING OUT: As an All-American offensive linebacker in high school, Pahukoa began his career path as a professional foot-began his career path as a professional foot-ball player. He played for the L.A. Rams (1991-94) and then with the Atlanta Falcons until 1997. He stopped playing pro ball to spend more time with his family in Washington. When his neighbor--an electrical contractor journeyman--introduced Pahukoa to the Joint Apprenticeship Training program, he jumped at the change to learn a new profession, earn a salary, and work together with construction crews building new facilities.

ON THE JOB: "The camaraderie in electrical contracting is a lot like football. Your work with a team of fellow apprentices and journeymen. I'm currently working providing all the electrical services for a water treatment plant. We provides temporary power for the builders; we install electrical piping, conduit work, wiring, and computers to control the electricity. Most recently, I was working in a scissor lift installing supports that hold wires."

REWARDS: "Every day now for two years, I have not come back from work without learning something new."

CHALLENGES: "You have to learn a lot of information so fast--you really have to keep up."

MORE INFO: The National Electrical Contractors Association/International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, www.electrifyingcareers.com

Don Rauf

AIRLINE PILOT

Rhonda Healy

AGE: 35

LOCATION: Atlanta, GA

JOB: Captain for Delta Connections

EDUCATION: A commercial pilot's license, which includes at least 250 hours of flight experience, is required. Healy attended a flight school in Florida. Many pilots come from the military or from an aeronautical engineering background.

SALARY: Regional jet pilots earn around $54,000; large commercial aircraft pilots earn about $92,000.

ON THE JOB: Pilots check their instruments and engines for proper functioning, and communicate with air traffic controllers and aviation weather forecasters to plan the safest, fastest flight. "Your workload varies, but it always entails mental preparation," says Healy. "We fly with an automated flight management system, but we have to know what's going on. It's good to have computer skills."

STARTING OUT: "I found that airlines were aggressively looking for pilots- especially women and minorities. So I saved some money and went to flight school."

REWARDS: "I feel I've done something good when I reunite people who haven't seen each other in a while."

CHALLENGES: "A lot of folks tried to discourage me [as a woman] from going into aviation. But if you have a goal, a passion in life, you can do it if you set your mind to it."

MORE INFO: The Airline Pilots Association, (202) 797-4033

Gary Drevitch

NURSE

Wayne Gillis

AGE: 36

LOCATION: Leesburg Regional Medical Center, FL

JOB: Registered nurse (RN) and administrative director of critical care services

EDUCATION: About 65 percent of nurses graduate from two-year associate nursing programs. Others hold four-year degrees. Nurses must pass a licensing exam. Licenses must be renewed periodically, usually every two years.

SALARY: Median annual salary for RNs is $34,430 to $49,070. Hospitals may also pay overtime and offer seasonal or contract bonuses for working extra hours.

ON THE JOB: Gillis worked as a hospital nurse for 10 years, providing care for patients by dispensing medications, assessing and recording symptoms, and instructing families on proper patient care. He is now administrative director, responsible for 150 nurses. In addition to monitoring and mentoring nurses, he screens and hires staff, purchases all equipment and supplies, and helps with other nursing related functions.

STARTING OUT: "When I met my wife, she was in a nursing program and I was learning to be a veterinarian," he says. "But the more she told me about nursing, the more interested I became."

REWARDS: "We save lives and improve quality of life," he says. "I remember becoming very attached to one of our cancer patients who had had a lung removed. I had to work really hard to get him to do his breathing exercises and his recovery became my personal mission. He passed away several years later, but his wife, a hospital volunteer, reminds me of our rapport every time I see her."

CHALLENGES: "It's a huge responsibility to have a patient's life in your hands. Anything can happen, including the loss of life."

MORE INFO: American Nurses Association, www.nursingworld.org

VETERINARIAN

David Schaffer

Tanley Hunter, Jr.

AGE: 31

LOCATION: Ann Arbor MI

JOB: Veterinarian, Animal Emergency Clinic

EDUCATION: Veterinarians must complete a four-year veterinary science program after college. Hunter attended Tuskegee University in Alabama for his undergraduate and veterinary education.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $58,306, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

STARTING OUT: "I've been an animal lover all my life. I probably started wanting to be a veterinarian in kindergarten when I took care of a stray dog."

ON THE JOB: Hunter treats animals that require immediate attention and medication. Unlike veterinarians who do routine check-ups and vaccinations and treat minor ailments, Hunter deals with animals who have been in accidents, fights, or who have ingested poisonous substances or suffered sudden serious illnesses. He sets broken bones, performs emergency surgeries, and administers and prescribes medications. Mostly he works on dogs and cats, but he also occasionally treats rabbits.

REWARDS: Hunter says the biggest reward is seeing the gratitude and relief of pet owners after he is able to help their pets. He remembers seeing a small dog who suffered serious injuries after a fight with another dog. "We had to do extensive surgery, but we were able to pull him through. It's great to see the looks on owners' faces in situations like that-sometimes they're so grateful they give us baked goods!"

CHALLENGES: "Especially at an emergency clinic, you're dealing with stressful and traumatic situations. Having to put an animal down is terrible, especially after working hard to try to save it. It's something you have to come to grips with."

MORE INFO: American Veterinary Medical Association, www.avma.org

David Schaffer

MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST

Tracy Cavato

AGE: 27

LOCATION: St. Louis, MO

JOB: Molecular biologist for Monsanto

EDUCATION: Cavato holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. A master's degree is required for some jobs in applied research.

SALARY: The median annual salary is $42,340.

ON THE JOB: Cavato does experiments on genetically enhanced crops to generate information requested by government agencies to win approval for the use of these crops. "For example, we produce corn that is genetically engineered to be resistant to herbicide," she says. "So a farmer can use the herbicide, which kills weeds, and the corn won't die because it's resistant. We also produce crops that we've protected from insects."

STARTING OUT: "What excited me in high school was when I saw all the work going on with DNA fingerprinting. That's what turned me onto science. In college, I had a professor who was a plant biologist, and I did a lot of work with him."

REWARDS: "We're working with biotechnology that's at the forefront of a lot of debate. It's basic science, but it does sound incredible."

CHALLENGES: "To learn more about plants and biotechnology. We've made these bioengineered organisms. Now how can we make them better?"

MORE INFO: The American Institute of Biological Sciences, www.aibs.org

Gary Drevitch

DENTAL HYGIENIST

Tadd Greenfield

AGE: 38

LOCATION: Kansas City, MO

EDUCATION: BS in dental hygiene from the University of Missouri. Hygienists need at least an associate's degree in dental hygiene and are licensed by the state.

SALARY: Median annual salary for dental hygienists is $47,195.

ON THE JOB: Hygienists educate patients on proper tooth and gum care, clean and examine teeth, take X-rays, and screen for oral cancer. Manual dexterity and an unsqueamish attitude are musts. Greenfield sees about eight patients a day. He typically works Monday through Thursday in two different dentist offices. (It's common for dentists to hire hygienists for two or three days a week, so many hygienists work in more than one office.)

STARTING OUT: Greenfield worked in retail management before making a career change. He notes that both occupations have a customer service aspect to them.

REWARDS: "I know that I can move anywhere and find a job pretty quickly."

CHALLENGES: "People will say, 'I hate to be here.' You've got to brush that off."

MORE INFO: The American Dental Hygienists' Association, www.adha.org; the American Dental Association, www.ada.org

Jami Dittus

PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Nora Liu

AGE: 28

LOCATION: Pasadena, CA

JOB: Pediatric physical therapist for California Children's Services, Los Angeles

EDUCATION: BS in biology from University of California at Los Angeles and a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California. Most physical therapists have master's degrees in physical therapy.

SALARY: About $44,000 to $75,000

ON THE JOB: Liu works with children who have musculoskeletal or neuromuscular impairments. A typical day consists of designing stretching and strengthening programs, teaching children how to walk or climb stairs, training them to properly use an electric wheelchair, and ordering braces and equipment. "When working with children, you need to be creative about incorporating therapeutic activities in the context of fun games," she says. "I also teach parents how to be good therapists at home."

STARTING OUT: "I always knew I wanted to go into health care. Through hospital volunteer work, I found that physical therapy would let me spend time with patients and families."

REWARDS: "Helping patients capitalize on their abilities rather than having them feel defeated by their disabilities and helping parents appreciate their special-needs kids as beautiful human beings regardless of their disabilities."

CHALLENGES: "Every parent wants their child to walk, but some may never be able to. It can be a struggle to direct the parent's energy towards other goals their child could achieve."

MORE INFO: American Physical Therapy Association, www.apta.org

Heather Lindsey

LEARN & EARN

Here are some examples of jobs available at various levels of education
and the salaries they pay, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Note: Salaries are either given as hourly wage for part-time positions
or the average annual wage.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

High school diploma
* Home health care aide             $8 per hour
* Nursing aide                      $8 per hour
* Occupational therapy aide         $28,680

Certificate or associate's degree
* Emergency medical technician      $20,290
* Medical assistant                 $20,680
* Licensed practical nurse          $26,940
* Occupational therapy assistant    $28,690

Bachelor's degree
* Respiratory therapist             $34,830
* Registered nurse                  $40,690
* Physician assistant               $47,090

SCIENCE

Jobs in science typically require
some training beyond a high school
diploma.

Associate's degree or certificate
* Drafter                           $15 per hour
* Engineering technician            $35,970

Bachelor's degree
* Researcher (animal science)       $27,600
* Researcher (food sciences)        $42,340
* Mechanical engineer               $53,290

Advanced degree
* Biological scientist              $48,600
* Veterinarian                      $50,950

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

Bachelor's degree
* Hardware test technician          $28,500
* Entry level programmer            $37,400
* Computer systems analyst          $55,973
* Design or application engineer    $59,500