Career Spotlights

Office Manager

Office Managers are the backbone of a well-run office. Many people assume that office management mainly consists of typing correspondence, but most Office Managers today take on many more responsibilities than just correspondence.

What to Study at IBC

Administrative Professional – AAS >>
This program truly prepares IBC graduates to enter the field of office management as a competent employee. With employers now placing “technology and computer literacy” high on their list of desirable employee skills, IBC students are trained on all the latest office technology.

Important Traits

• Very organized, good at creating and implementing policies and procedures
• Good interpersonal skills; comfortable talking to people all day
• Leadership qualities
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral
• Strong technical skills; proficient on computers, standard office software such as Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint®, and the Internet

Work Environments

As an Office Manager, there are many types of work environments in which you could possibly work. Every organization--from the small business with a handful of employees to the large corporations with thousands of employees--requires an Office Manager. You could seek work in the public sector such as a government office, a school system or a nonprofit organization, or in the private sector such as a small local office or an office within a large corporation. You will most likely report directly to the “big boss” or a department director. You may eventually have other people reporting to you.

Typical Day

Every day is different, and the tasks you perform will rely on what’s needed on any given day, but may include:

• Plan and organize meetings
• Handle recordkeeping
• Perform basic bookkeeping
• Create presentations
• Keep office organized; monitor and order office supplies
• Manage relationships with outside vendors
• Plan and organize special events
• Handle correspondence

Typical Attire

Depending on the type of office in which you work, typically the dress code is professional or business casual. Professional dress means dress suits or slacks, button-down shirts and ties for men, dresses, suits, or blouses and slacks for women. Business casual usually means cotton slacks and sweaters or polo / golf shirts for men, and skirts or khakis with sweaters or casual knit tops for women.

Schedule

As an Office Manager, the hours are usually standard business hours. Business hours are approximately 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. There are exceptions; for example, some offices may require Saturday hours or some evening hours, but those situations are less common than the standard 8-5 / 5-day workweek.

Money

The pay will certainly vary according to the location of the job, the size of the organization, and your level of education and experience. In many areas of Indiana, the entry-level pay is somewhere between $22,000 – 26,000, or approximately $12+ / hour. Many organizations provide benefits, such as vacation time, health insurance and retirement accounts.

The Future for Office Managers

The future for Office Managers is very strong. Our successful graduates are placed into positions as quickly as possible, because the positions are open and available. The long-term forecast for Office Managers is positive, with more growth expected across the U.S.

Interested in pursuing a career as an Office Manager? View the academic program details >>

Medical Assistant

Medical Assistants are employed in physicians' offices, medical clinics, laboratories and other healthcare agencies. Medical Assistants are absolutely a vital part of the medical community; they are sometimes the first interaction a patient may have in a medical setting; they are often the connection between the patient and physician.

What to Study at IBC

Medical Assistant – AAS >>
This program provides students with the skills necessary to be proficient in procedures for both the front and back medical office.  

Important Traits

• Excellent interpersonal skills, comfortable with listening  to people talk about everything from basic medical questions to difficult, traumatic diagnoses (often referred to as “good bedside manner” in the health sciences)
• High comfort level with laboratory procedures and handling of body tissue or fluid samples
• Strong critical thinking; help identify symptoms, make quick assessments and accurately communicate with physicians
• Eagerness to learn continuously; strong level of curiosity
• Ongoing dedication to quality care and on-the-job performance

Work Environments

Medical Assistants are employed in physicians' offices, medical clinics, laboratories and other healthcare agencies. You may work in a small, general office or a larger office with several specialties. The diversity of work environments is one of the most attractive qualities of becoming a Medical Assistant. Many discover a specialized field that deeply interests them, and they become Medical Assistants in a health care facility that allows them to pursue the specialty, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics, dermatology and many others.

Being a Medical Assistant can be physically demanding at times, and it keeps you moving much of the day. You may be required to give an injection, apply a dressing to a wound, or enter patient insurance data into the computer.  For many Medical Assistants, the variety of duties (and not being trapped in a quiet cubicle sitting in a chair all day) is a major attraction of the field.

Typical Day

Every day is different, and the tasks you perform will rely on patient needs on any given day, but may include the following.

Front Office:

• Working at the front desk, registering patients and handling paperwork and scheduling
• Handling patient concerns and questions
• Being the very first representative of the office that a patient sees!

Back Office:

• Set up and assist in minor medical procedures
• Inventory and order supplies and tools
• Measure a patient’s vital signs (weight, blood pressure, etc.) and document  his / her chief complaint
• Perform basic diagnostic tests (urine, blood, , etc.)
• Clean and dress minor wounds
• Provide patient education, place follow-up phone calls to patients

Typical Attire

Most Medical Assistant positions require that you wear scrubs. However, scrubs are made in dozens--if not hundreds--of styles and themes, appropriate to the type of medical office in which you will work.

Schedule

As a Medical Assistant, the hours are almost always standard business hours. Business hours are approximately 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. There are exceptions; for example, many clinics or practices are beginning to provide Saturday hours and some evening hours to better accommodate patient needs.

Money

The pay will certainly vary according to the location of the job, the size of the organization, and your level of education and experience. In many areas of Indiana, the entry-level pay is somewhere between $22,000 – 26,000, or approximately $10-15 / hour. Plus, many offices provide benefits such as vacation time, health insurance and retirement accounts.

The Future for Medical Assistants

The future for Medical Assistants is extremely good. There is a very high demand for well-trained, quality Medical Assistants all over the United States, and IBC graduates are placed very quickly. The field is growing and is forecasted to keep growing. The role of the Medical Assistant has actually become more important to the medical community over the past several years, taking on more responsibility and depended upon more by physicians.

Some Medical Assistants choose to return to school and pursue further education for career advancement or specialized field, such as Nursing, and they are well prepared to move into this new role. Others, after years of experience, choose to move into teaching at colleges..In larger medical offices, experienced, competent Medical Assistants may also advance to front/back office coordinators or managers.

Interested in pursuing a career as a Medical Assistant? View the academic program details >>

Network Technician

One phrase you hear a lot when you talk about a career in Network Administration is “the sky’s the limit.” That’s because you can take a career in this field as far as you’re willing to work for it. In other words, your career path over several years has the potential to grow much faster than many other fields. Today, Network Technicians keep the heart and blood of most organizations pumping. Much of today’s business world touches a network (software and hardware connected together and with outside networks), and the health of those networks is essential to the smooth functioning of those organizations. Network Technicians make sure it happens.

When you first graduate from IBC, you’ll be qualified for entry-level network positions, such as Assistant Network Technician or Junior Network Administrator. You shouldn’t let these entry-level roles discourage you; a couple of years of experience will likely take you to new, higher positions.

What to Study at IBC

Network Administration – AAS >>
This program provides students with a strong foundation in business, customer service and technology skills required to become a successful Network Technician.  

Important Traits

• “Lifetime learner”: Eagerness to learn continuously, strong level of curiosity and willingness to stay on top of the ever-changing world of technology
• Good problem-solving and analytic skills, especially the ability to track down the source of a network problem and solve it
• Excellent communication skills
• Good interpersonal and customer service skills
• Patience: staying calm and having a level head in the face of a difficult problem will take you far in this industry

Work Environments

The average company that employs a Network Technician is between 50-500 employees. (Though there are instances of smaller or larger companies as well.) You might choose to work in an office setting, which is very common, or as a field technician that receives work orders and is out servicing networks in multiple locations throughout the day. The diversity of work environments available to Network Technicians means you will have many employment scenarios to choose from, one of the most attractive qualities of the industry. This career can take you just about anywhere! In terms of whom you report to, in most cases it will be an IT Manager or Director.

Typical Day

Every day is definitely different, but some of the typical tasks you’d perform include:

• Pulling cable for a new or redesigned network (sometimes many miles of cable in one day!)
• Addressing incoming tickets or work orders that detail an issue with the network
• “Curing” a “sick” network; an unhealthy network takes extensive diagnostics and a solid strategy for repair
• Squelching a virus outbreak
• Researching, selecting and purchasing new hardware or software licenses
• Lifting hardware, moving equipment, checking cables and connections
• You might be asked to travel, depending on the size of the company and your specific role

Typical Attire

Attire for Network Technicians varies and depends on the dress code of the company for which you work. Some Network Technicians are allowed to dress casually, even in jeans or shorts, while others are required to wear business attire, especially when meeting with management. Still others—like field technicians—might wear a work uniform.

Schedule

In general, Network Technicians work in situations with regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00. This, too, will depend on the industry in which you work. In almost every Network Technician’s life, though, network emergency situations occur, during which you might work long hours until the problem is solved.

Money

The pay will certainly vary according to the location of the job, the size of the organization, and your level of education and experience. In many areas of Indiana, the entry-level pay is somewhere between $22,000 – 26,000, or approximately $12-15 / hour. Benefits such as vacation time, health insurance and retirement accounts might be offered, depending on the size of the organization and whether you’re hired as a full-time employee. It is very important to note that while your first few years as a Network Technician are tough, it can pay off in the long run as you see your position grow and your salary increase at a relatively fast rate. “Paying your dues” in the beginning is well worth it for a hard-working Network Technician.

The Future for Network Technicians

Get your sunglasses ready, because the future is bright! The demand for Network Technicians has gone up for years and is projected to keep growing. Many of our Network Administration graduates become employed upon graduation.

Interested in pursuing a career as a Network Technician? View the academic program details >>