{"id":6755,"date":"2018-02-11T07:51:38","date_gmt":"2018-02-11T11:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6755"},"modified":"2018-02-11T07:51:38","modified_gmt":"2018-02-11T11:51:38","slug":"5-flexible-jobs-in-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6755","title":{"rendered":"5 \u2018Flexible\u2019 Jobs in Demand"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>For many people, one of the biggest things to love about a job is having autonomy and control over their time. These workers say that\u00a0a flexible job \u2014 one with an adaptable, telecommuting, part-time or freelance component \u2014 lowers stress, improves quality of life and makes them more engaged in the work itself.\u00a0Gallup\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>State of the American Workplace<\/a>\u00a0report backs that up, showing that engagement rises when employees have the opportunity to work from home or off-site.<\/span><\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This fact is why my book, AARP\u2019s\u00a0Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy \u2026 and Pays the Bills<\/i><\/a>,\u00a0delves into flexible jobs in a wide range of categories.\u00a0In my reporting for the book, I generally found that workers over 50 are often willing to trade pay for that sense of independence.<\/p>\n

Read at AARP’s website.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

So here are five flexible jobs that you can expect to be in strong demand in 2018.<\/p>\n

1<\/b>.\u00a0Event planner\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The nitty-gritty:<\/b>\u00a0You\u2019ll need organizational chops to manage logistics smoothly and professionally and with a sharp eye for detail. Event planners are the engineers behind annual association gatherings, big birthday bashes, weddings and fundraisers such as 10K charity races and silent auction black-tie dinners. Employment for meeting, convention and event planners is projected to\u00a0grow by 10 percent\u00a0from 2016 to 2026 \u2014 faster than the average for all occupations, according to the\u00a0Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n

Pay range:<\/b>\u00a0Hourly pay ranges from $11.41 to $35.59, according to\u00a0PayScale.\u00a0Annual salary ranges from $28,950 to $72,942.<\/p>\n

Qualifications:<\/b>\u00a0There\u2019s no must-have degree or certification for this kind of job. But some universities and community colleges offer them. George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, offers an event management certificate. You might also consider the\u00a0certified meeting professional\u00a0credential<\/a>. If weddings are your thing, check out the websites of the\u00a0American Association of Certified Wedding Planners<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Customer service representative<\/b><\/h3>\n

The nitty-gritty:<\/b>\u00a0You\u2019ll need an up-to-date computer, a high-speed internet connection, a dedicated landline phone and headset, and a quiet place to work. You can expect to be answering calls, taking new orders and tracking existing ones. You might troubleshoot problems or help out with technical support. A sympathetic tone and can-do approach will serve you well in this work.<\/p>\n

Pay range:<\/b>\u00a0$9.61 to $18.36, according to PayScale. Some firms provide health, vision and dental benefits, or access to group plan rates. Paid vacation and matching 401(k) plans may be a perk, but you\u2019ll have to clock in enough hours to be eligible.<\/p>\n

Qualifications:<\/b>\u00a0Job descriptions typically call for experience in customer care or technical support. But think broadly when you apply. You might make your time working in a retail store, as a bank teller or in sales count as qualifying experience. Typically, an online test and a phone interview are required. Background, drug and credit checks are standard. Employers may offer paid training sessions.<\/p>\n

3. Medical records administrator<\/b><\/h3>\n

The nitty-gritty:<\/b>\u00a0As hospitals, nursing care facilities and old-fashioned doctors\u2019 offices say farewell to stacks of paper in favor of electronic records, there\u2019s a soaring demand for workers who are at ease with computerese. The work entails making digital files out of such things such as physicians\u2019 scribbled notes about patient visits, surgical procedures and test results. A hot specialty: coding. Medical coders convert a doctor\u2019s report of, say, an injury and procedures performed, into numeric and alphanumeric codes to create a claim for insurance reimbursement. Medical coder\/remote coder and coding auditor\/reviewer are some common flexible job titles in this category.<\/p>\n

Pay range:<\/b>\u00a0$11.79 to $25.82 per hour, according to PayScale.<\/p>\n

Qualifications:<\/b>\u00a0A high school diploma or experience in a health care setting are enough to qualify you for some positions. But for most jobs, you\u2019ll probably need an associate degree in health information technology from a technical or community college. Online courses are available, too. Coursework covers such things as medical terminology, anatomy and database security.<\/p>\n

Passing a certifying examination is not always required, but employers often prefer it. The\u00a0American Health Information Management Association\u00a0offers a certificate. The\u00a0American Academy of Professional Coders\u00a0can give you coding credentials, while the\u00a0Board of Medical Specialty Coding and Compliance\u00a0and the\u00a0Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists\u00a0provide credentialing in specialty coding.<\/p>\n

4. Translator-interpreter<\/b><\/h3>\n

The nitty-gritty:<\/b>\u00a0You may brag that you\u2019re fluent in a second language, but are you really? It\u2019s easy to get rusty. Languages evolve, and being in sync with contemporary terms and slang is essential. If you\u2019re going to be a Spanish translator or interpreter, for example, you need to know the difference between Spanish spoken in Spain and what\u2019s spoken in Mexico or Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n

Interpreters deal with spoken words. They are the go-betweens for two parties, such as doctor and patient, client and lawyer, and speaker and audience. Translators work with written words, possibly on a computer with files they transmit back and forth. Spanish is the most in-demand language, but there is growing need for languages such as Arabic and Mandarin.<\/p>\n

Pay range:<\/b>\u00a0$11.74 to $39.09 an hour, according to PayScale. Depending on assignment and expertise, pay can top $100 an hour.<\/p>\n

Qualifications:<\/b>\u00a0Fluency in at least two languages is required, of course, but having an area of expertise, such as the judicial system or health care, and full knowledge of their technical vocabularies, can make the difference for landing jobs. Trade organizations such as the\u00a0American Translators Association\u00a0offer certifications. Many federal, state and municipal courts have certification programs for judicial situations, as does the\u00a0National Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators. The\u00a0International Association of Conference Interpreters, meanwhile, can certify you for work at those big international gatherings.<\/p>\n

If you already have solid language skills, you can get training at community colleges and universities to prepare for certification exams. The American Translators Association has a list of programs that it approves, along with a job bank when you\u2019re ready. The\u00a0All Language Alliance\u00a0connects job seekers and positions. Internships and volunteering at community organizations or hospitals will build your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

5. Technical writer<\/b><\/h3>\n

The nitty-gritty:<\/b>\u00a0High-tech merchandise is proliferating, and medical and scientific data are becoming increasingly intricate. This is creating openings for technical writers who can work in-house with product designers and developers and communicate clearly with laypeople on the outside. As a\u00a0technical writer, you might be called on to prepare paper and digital instruction manuals for consumers or to write grant proposals for research scientists.<\/p>\n

Pay ranges:<\/b>\u00a0$15.41 to $45.39, according to PayScale.<\/p>\n

Qualifications:<\/b>\u00a0You’ll need top-flight writing skills and a hankering for technology and scientific subjects. The\u00a0Society for Technical Communication\u00a0offers certification for technical writers. The\u00a0American Medical Writers Association\u00a0has continuing education programs and certificates in medical writing.<\/p>\n

by Kerry Hannon,<\/span><\/p>\n

Kerry Hannon, AARP jobs expert, is the author of\u00a0<\/i>Great Jobs for Everyone 50 +: Finding Work that Keeps You Happy and Healthy \u2026 and Pays the Bills<\/a>,\u00a0<\/i>Getting the Job You Want After 50 for Dummies<\/a>,\u00a0<\/i>Love Your Job<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/i>What\u2019s Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond<\/a>. Follow her on\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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