Page 50 - SKILLS Workforce Development Guide 2021

For Students: Profiles of Young Workers
fit well with her new lifestyle. She had always enjoyed her time working in an office setting, so she thought becoming a medically certified administrative assistant would be the perfect marriage of her interest in medicine and
her skill set.
The medically certified administrative assistant (MCAA) is
a semester-long course and one of 65 different degree and certificate programs offered at WCC. The program was taught via Zoom at night twice weekly, which worked for Castagnino from a childcare perspective. “When you go to a doctor’s office or call there, I am the first person you will see or speak to, so it is important to maintain calm and also address the problem. I learned everything from how to speak with patients [to] insurance claims, scheduling, and customer service.”
Castagnino’s professor taught her that many of her experiences are actually applicable to her job. For example, working as a cashier taught her the importance of good customer service. The classes also taught her terminology that was helpful for her to know and that she used even on her very first day at the job. “I knew terms such as guarantor
“When you go to a doctor’s office or call there, I am the first person you will see or speak to, so it is important to maintain calm.”
—Natalia Castagnino
and EMR (electronic medical record) and, without the class, I wouldn’t have,” she explains.
She loves her current job and the staff and doctors there. In fact, her son is a patient at the office as well. And just as he grows, Castagnino plans to expand her role at the practice, taking on increasing responsibility in the coming years.
H.O. Penn Machinery
is the Caterpillar dealer for Southern New York
and all of the state of Connecticut.
We are HIRING for full-time:
• Heavy equipment mechanics • Generator road mechanics
We also offer paid internships for students enrolled in relevant programs at the college or university level!
For more information, visit our website: www.hopenn.com/careers or text DEALERTECHJOBS to 97211
For information about internships, please contact Kathryn Herbert, Corporate Recruiter, at 845-437-4055 / kherbert@hopenn.com
www.facebook.com/hopennmachinery/ @hopenncat
@HOPennMachinery www.linkedin.com/company/hopennmachinery
48 SKILLS What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed.