Blackstone students now have the convenience of making tuition payments online using a major credit card, debit card or e-check. Students (or those sponsoring a student) just need to go to the Blackstone website home page, www.blackstone.edu, and click on “Make a Payment” under “Student Resources.” Students using the Online Student Center can access the “Make a Payment” feature from the Student Home Page.

To enter this secure site, students will need to provide their Blackstone Student ID number and the zip code to which study materials are sent. In addition to Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, the system also accepts check payments online. Students can log on 24 hours a day to make a payment, although funds will not be applied to their account until the next business day’s activity is processed.

Another convenient method of making monthly payments is through Blackstone’s autopay option, which the school has offered for many years. Payments are automatically charged to a student’s credit or debit card on a specific day each month. Students can select this option upon enrollment or at a later date by contacting the school. Many find this method of payment to be the most convenient since it relieves them from having to remember to make their monthly payments. 

While newspaper headlines are painting a dire picture of the U.S. economy, the news isn’t all bad when it comes to the employment arena. There are many industries that continue to add jobs, including the health care field.

According to Careerbuilder.com, which gathered information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care segment has added more than 250,000 jobs this year, with across-the-board increases in all sectors of this industry. For example, ambulatory health care services (including doctor’s offices and outpatient care centers) had a gain of 117,000 jobs, while hospitals added over 92,000 positions.

Blackstone Career Institute offers career training programs in the health-care field – Medical Billing & Coding, Medical Transcription, Medical Office Assistant and Dental Office Assistant – and job growth in all of these areas is expected to grow faster or much faster than average through 2016, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. To explore our diploma programs in any of these fields, use the links on the right-hand side of this page.

Salary.com recently included Dental Assisting on its list of the top five fastest growing careers which offer high pay but don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Job opportunities are expected to increase by 29 percent through 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. What is spurring this growth? According to the handbook, “Population growth, greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people, and an increased focus on preventative dental care for younger generations will fuel demand for dental services.”

Dental assistants work alongside dentists to provide patient care, with many learning their skills on the job. The Blackstone Dental Office Assisting Program provides students with a background for entering the field and performing duties such as scheduling, claims processing, and dental charting.

If you are job hunting, you stand a better chance of finding employment in South Dakota or Idaho, where the unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation, at 3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In contrast, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, at 7.6 percent. The nation-wide average is 5 percent.

Here are the 15 states with the lowest unemployment rates: South Dakota (3%), Idaho (3%), Wyoming (3.1%), Nebraska (3.2%), Utah (3.2%), Hawaii (3.2%), North Dakota (3.3%), Virginia (3.5%), Montana (3.6%), New Hampshire (3.6%), New Mexico (3.7%), Delaware (3.8%), Maryland (3.8%), Iowa (4%) and Vermont (4%).

The following states have the highest unemployment rates in the nation: Michigan (7.6%), Mississippi (6.8%), South Carolina (6.6%), Alaska (6.5%), California (6.1%), District of Columbia (6.1%), Ohio (6%), Arkansas (5.9%), Nevada (5.8%), and Kentucky (5.7%).

Of course, no matter where you live, it’s your training and skills that really count when you are looking for a new job opportunity. If you have the background needed to work in a high-demand field, such as health care, the unemployment rate will less likely be a factor in your job search.

If you are beginning your job search for a position in the paralegal field, you have probably started by targeting law firms in your area. But you should expand your job search to include corporations, according to an article recently published by LawCrossing, the nation’s largest legal job search board. The article explains that the responsibilities of a corporate paralegal are similar to those working in any law office, such as researching cases and statutes or administrative decisions; helping to negotiate contracts or agreements; reviewing documents; drafting court documents, etc.

LawCrossing points out that many corporations aren’t necessarily looking for a paralegal when they are seeking to fill a position in their corporate law office – for example, the company might advertise for a secretary. It’s your job to make a case for yourself, explaining why you should be hired over a conventional personal assistant. Make sure you send your resume and cover letter to both the legal and human resources departments, and also request to be interviewed by the legal department, since an HR staff person may not recognize your unique skills.

According to Careerbuilder.com, one of the most important hiring factors is whether the candidate fits within the corporate culture. So while you might assume your education and experience speak for themselves through a well-written resume and cover letter, your interpersonal skills are probably what will land you the job. Expressing what sets you apart from the other candidates should be one of your main goals during an interview. You need to sell yourself!

Here are some more tips from Careerbuilder that can make you stand out from the rest of the candidates:

• Sell yourself: don’t be afraid to draw attention to your accomplishments, starting with a well-constructed cover letter. Try using an intriguing “P.S.” in a cover letter: the “P.S.” will always get read.
• Use testimonials as an effective sales tool to help self yourself. In your resume, include a few brief quotes from clients or managers.
• If you know someone who works for the company you would like to interview with, ask that person to recommend you for the job opening.
• Research the company before your interview. With the availability of so much information on the Internet, there’s no excuse for going into a job interview without having a thorough understanding of what the company does.
• Also use the Internet to find out how much others in your field earn (with sites such as CBSalary.com); this will help you negotiate appropriate pay and benefits.
• Be prepared for the interview by bringing extra resumes and a list of references.
• Follow up after the interview, offering specific information on why you are perfect for the job.

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