Author: Erin Kelly

Suppose that you had to make an important decision about money. You might want to get some advice. For insurance companies, actuaries help people to make good decisions about how to make their companies work better.

Actuaries work in offices where they help to analyze information. Often, they work with statistics in insurance companies to help with decisions about what customers will buy. People in this field should have a background in mathematics and statistics so that they can analyze information about accidents, retirement, and sickness. Insurance companies use this information to help them decide how much to charge for their service. The work of an actuary is not normally physically difficult, but it can be tiring to work with statistics all day.

When people buy insurance, they pay a certain amount of money every month to get money back if something happens. For example, people in dangerous jobs might buy accident insurance to get money in case they are hurt too badly to work. Business owners might buy fire or flood insurance in case their buildings are damaged. People have many different reasons for buying insurance, and actuaries can help the companies make good decisions.

Working in this field normally requires a university degree in something like actuarial science or statistics. Several universities in Canada, like the University of Calgary in Alberta and McMaster University in Ontario, have programs that can give people the training that they need.

Being able to work with numbers is important, and being able to solve problems, analyze risks, and see possibilities is helpful. Most university programs include a combination of classroom work and practical experience. At the end of the program, students need to take exams in actuarial studies to be able to work in their field.

Many different factors can be important in how actuaries analyze risks for insurance companies. For theft insurance, for example, actuaries need to know statistics about crime in the area to decide how much to charge customers. Flood insurance in a mountain city would also be different from the same insurance in a flat area close to a lake or river.

The work that actuaries do can depend on where they find jobs. In big cities, actuaries might be able to specialize in one kind of analysis, such as fire insurance. They might also be able to work in other kinds of businesses to help with decisions about how much of a product to make or how much to charge. In small towns, they would likely have to know a lot about many different subjects. They might help sell all kinds of insurance or even work with factory owners or other business people.

Actuaries normally work regular hours, and they might work closely with others or mainly alone. Salaries in this field start at close to $46,000 and can rise to $139,000 as people gain experience. People who enjoy numbers can stay in this job for their entire careers, but they can also use their skills for developing software or supervising other people. If you like dealing with risk and uncertainty, you might want to consider becoming an actuary.

Bibliography:

Actuarial Careers Inc. “Canada.” https://www.actuarialcareers.com/canada/.

Canadian Institute of Actuaries. “Canadian Universities Offering Actuarial Studies.” https://www.cia-ica.ca/about-us/actuaries/careers/universities.

Payscale.com. “Actuary Salary.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Actuary/Salary.

Wikipedia.org. “Actuary.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actuary.

When you go to the doctor, you might see a few different people. Besides the doctor, you might see the receptionist and maybe a few nurses or other doctors. Many people help with health care, including medical equipment preparers. If you are the kind of person who likes working to keep things clean and organized, becoming a medical equipment preparer might be the right job for you.

Most medical appointments require some kind of equipment. If you need a vaccination for measles or you need to have a mole removed, the doctor will need some equipment, like needles and cotton balls. When doctors do surgery, they need scalpels and many other types of equipment.

Sometimes the doctors and nurses can prepare their own equipment, but often they have many other things to think about. Before surgery, doctors and nurses have to make sure that the patients are breathing properly and doing as well as possible. For regular appointments, doctors might be in too much of a rush to spend time looking for the right tools. Medical equipment preparers can help make appointments and surgery go much more smoothly than they otherwise would.

An ability to organize is one of the most important aspects of being a medical equipment preparer. Different medical procedures require different types of equipment, and preparers need to know what is necessary for each one. This might involve following a list of supplies or asking what a particular doctor or nurse needs. The first step is cleaning the equipment and making sure that everything is working properly, and then the pieces are ready to go onto trays.

The work of a medical equipment preparer is not very difficult, but it requires care. Missing one piece of equipment could delay surgery or mean that patients have to come back for second appointments. One of the most important parts of preparing equipment is to make sure that all of it is clean so that it will not cause infections. Learning how to sterilize the equipment is an important part of the job.

If you want to become a medical equipment preparer, you will need a high school education and a certificate in sterile processing. Many community colleges and technical schools have certificate programs in this field, and you can get both practical experience and theory, which can help you do your work well. People in this field can get work in doctors’ offices and hospitals, as well as other places where people go for help with their health.

Depending on where they work and the amount of experience they have, people in this work can earn between $27,000 and $51,000 per year. This kind of job does not take a lot of strength, but it can be busy. Being organized is very important, and also being able to handle a variety of instruments without dropping them.

The job of medical equipment preparer might seem like a very simple one, but it is very important. If you get into this work, you can help many people and have a satisfying career.

Bibliography:

Careers in Health Care. “Medical Equipment Preparer.” https://www.careersinhealthcare.com/medical-equipment-preparer/.

Learning Path.org. “Medical Equipment Preparer Career Info.” http://learningpath.org/articles/Medical_Equipment_Preparer_Career_Info.html.

Payscale.com. “Medical Equipment Technician Hourly Rate.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Medical_Equipment_Technician/Hourly_Rate.

Study.com. “Medical Equipment Preparer.” https://study.com/articles/Medical_Equipment_Preparer_Training_and_Education_Program_Info.html.

When you get a cavity in your tooth, you need to get a filling. If you have a more serious problem, you might need surgery. A director of dental surgery can help make that happen.

Becoming a director of dental surgery involves a lot of education. Normally, people in this area have training and experience in dentistry. People spend at least three or four years in university to become dentists. Specializing in dental surgery could take a few extra years in programs that include practical experience and classroom work. Most universities have programs in dentistry, and some community colleges might have a few courses in the field.

Directors of dental surgery need to know about dentistry, but they also need to know about business. Getting training in office management is a good idea, since directors often need to deal with the same kinds of issues that any other manager would face. Hiring employees, making sure that the office has enough supplies, and keeping track of surgery schedules might all be part of the work.

Dental surgeons, who are often called oral surgeons, generally start out with earning about $176,000 per year and can earn more than $345,000 by the time they retire. Depending on where they work, directors of dental surgery can earn similar salaries or even more.

Directors of dental surgery can spend some time sitting, although in busy offices they might not have many opportunities to relax. Still, this is a good job for dentists or dental surgeons who are physically unable to continue with their jobs. Shaky hands, for example, might make active dentistry impossible, but working as a director is an option for people who are no longer able to practice dentistry, or also as a first choice for people who enjoy that kind of work.

Like all jobs, the work of director of dental surgery can be a good or bad choice, depending on what people are able and willing to do. The job has a lot of responsibility, and it can be very stressful when things go wrong. If a patient has a bad experience with surgery, for example, the director might need to deal with the complaint and any lawsuit that might come up. Scheduling surgery can also be difficult sometimes, especially when an operation takes longer than expected or there is an emergency that has to come first.

Being flexible is very important for people in this position, but it is also necessary to be organized so that the work can get done. Directors need to be able to work alone at times but also be good with people. If two surgeons want the same time in the operating room, for example, the director might need to talk to them to work out a solution. In case of a major crisis, such as a fire or flood in the building, the director might need to take charge and help decide what to do next. If this describes you, why not consider becoming a director or dental surgery?

Bibliography:

Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. “About This Profession.” https://www.caoms.com/about- profession

Canadian Dental Association. “Dental Specialties.” https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/ becoming/becoming/specialties/

Ontario Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. “Credentials.” https://www.osoms.ca/page- 1335625.

Payscale.com. “Dentist Salary.” https://www.payscale.com/ research/CA/Job=Dentist/Salary.

Salary Expert.com “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.” https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/oral-and-maxillofacial-surgeon/canada.

If you have an interest in understanding how the business and financial worlds work, or are good at mathematics and detail oriented, then being an accountant might be a good career path.

Known as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in Canada, this career is in high demand across the country.  Nearly all businesses, non-profits, and government organizations will need the services of an accountant at some point.  Accountants keep track of finances, spending and payments, organize and run accounting systems or departments, handles taxes for individuals and corporations, and perform financial audits.

An accountants responsibilities include many detail-oriented tasks, such as data entry, maintaining financial transaction ledgers, organizing and updating financial files, performing audits, preparing tax returns, and communicating with banks.  Depending on the size of the company or organization you work for, you can be responsible for all the accounting and financial tasks of the business, or you can be part of a team and only in charge of one type of task.  You will also need to ensure best practices and compliance with national and provincial regulations, and create and communicate financial reports.

In order to work as an accountant in Canada, there are several educational and professional requirements.  Number one is a degree in accounting, mathematics, finance or a related field from an accredited Canadian university.  Next you will need to complete a professional CPA training program, including two years or 30 months of on-the-job training.  Lastly, you will be required to register with your province’s Chartered Accountants regulatory body.

Most accountants will also specialize in a certain aspect of accounting, such as taxes, auditing, bankruptcy, or public accounting.

With a career as an accountant, you will have the opportunity to work in any industry, from healthcare to manufacturing to small business, so you will always be able to work in a field you are interested in and that you find meaningful.  In some cases you will even have the opportunity to travel, as professionally trained CPAs have skills that are useful everywhere.

Since accountants are highly skilled professionals, they are able to earn a very comfortable salary in most positions and locations.  Entry level and early career accountants’ starting wages begin around $18 per hour, and with experience and positions with more responsibility can reach $50 to $60 per hour.  This makes for a yearly salary ranging from $45,000 to $90,000 on average, with some positions in specific private industries or government earning upwards of $100,000 per year.

Sources:

https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Certified_Public_Accountant_(CPA)/Salary/450c8a34/Toronto-ON

https://www.cpacanada.ca/en/become-a-cpa/why-become-a-cpa

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/121/ca