Getting Pumped with Information

The biblical admonition of "Ask and you will receive" has always been a favorite of mine. I have never been afraid to just talk to people and ask for their help or insight, and I continue to be amazed at the valuable information I learn just doing this simple act of communication. Tonight I stopped at a gas station and a young woman was filling her car in the aisle next to mine. The brightly colored shirt she was wearing caught my attention immediately. I smiled and asked, "Do you work with a pediatrics office?"

"Yes, I do," she said.

"May I ask you a question? I am working with a young woman who is interested in going back to school and pursuing either phlebotomy** or becoming a Certified Medical Assistant. Are those good areas today?"

"Oh yes," she said without hesitating. "I am a CMA and a phlebotomist, too. CMAs are the new nurses. Doctor's offices are not hiring as many nurses now because RNs and even LPNs are too expensive. The offices are hiring Medical Assistants and having them do a lot of what the nurses do. And with a certification in phlebotomy she can work in either a doctor's office or a hospital. With a phlebotomy certification she can go in a dozen directions, and the jobs pay well."

"The local vocational school indicates that the starting salary for a phlebotomist is around $22,000 to $24,000 per year. Does that sound right based on your experience?"

"Yes, it does. And even more when she gets more experience."

I thanked her sincerely for sharing her experience and as I drove off I was thinking, "If I had not asked that simple question that led to a two minute conversation, I would now not have any of that data from someone working in that field." I immediately called the young woman I have been assisting, told her what I had learned, and encouraged her to get her school application in as soon as possible.

Sometimes it's so simple. There's no need to make this complicated.

** A phlebotomist is the person who takes blood or puts in IVs.