Today marked the first in a Classroom Presentation Series, “Ask Me Anything”, where Job Corps welcomes guest speakers who are about 10-15 years into their career, and are self-described ‘open books’, so that students can have honest, thoughtful conversations about their career.

Today, Medical Trade students warmly welcomed Wilson Rith, an RN and Case Manager, experienced in the ER, Correctional Facilities, Psychiatric Care and Pediatric Care. Some of the questions were quite illuminating: “if you could change your career path, what would you go back and do differently?” Wilson answered thoughtfully, “Most people hear that you’re supposed to have this straight line in your career path: school, college, job, but that’s not always the case. More often than not, people end up making more of a zig-zag, a lot of lateral moves, go back to school after they discover what they really want to do with their life, for example. In pursuing my associate’s degree I was in class with individuals in their 40s and 50s looking at an entirely new career. I think you make decisions on your next step based on what’s best for you and your family at that time.”

Students asked a wide range of questions – “How do you maintain a positive work-life balance?” “What do you do to deal with stress?” “How do you prepare for handling death in the medical field?” “What was the most intense situation you had working in the ER?”

Wilson also openly discussed these topics as well as his pay rates for each of the positions he’s held in the medical field. He reviewed the various shifts available, the flexibility of a medical career, and the benefits of working in various settings. He even gave great advice on seeking out the best kind of student loans, and discussed how to manage situations when you feel ‘in over your head’.

When a student asked “When do you think you’ll want to retire?” Wilson responded “As soon as possible” which earned him a few laughs. He continued, “I know many people in the medical field who retired early, only to find after their first year of retirement they were quite bored, and ended up going back to work in some form or another. Per Diem work, education, and consulting are all great options at the end of your career if you’re not ready to fully retire.”

Another student asked “What would you say to someone who is taking 5 years to get through college?” Wilson responded “I’ve been in and out of college for various programs 5 different times since I was 18. I’m starting my BA followed by a Master’s program at SNHU this semester, and I’m 31. Also, I think the average length of achieving a Bachelor’s degree is now just over 5 years anyway. We all have to do what’s best for us, and our families and that may mean not finishing college in the pre-determined 4 years. My advice is this, don’t be concerned with what everyone else is doing, do what’s best for you. As long as you are happy with where you are, and accept who you are, that’s what’s important.”

ABOUT NH JOB CORPS CENTER
New Hampshire Job Corps Center is a residential career technical training center provided at no cost to eligible young adults ages 16-24 years old, and includes technical training in 9 trades as well as social & leadership development. This federally funded program, through the Department of Labor, has big goals: producing skilled, confident, graduates to fill the skills gap in the most in-demand industries in our state, and empowering students to make significant contributions to the state and the community through service and innovative thinking.
For more information call NH Job Corps Admissions at 603-621-9555, or Cassie Gudek, the Business & Community Director, 603-695-8818