Herzing Blog

Updated December 2023

Wondering if a career in social services is right for you? One of the best ways to figure that out is by looking at the skills you'll need to succeed on the job.

If those qualities match up with your profile and interests, chances are you're a good fit for the role.  And if they don't? You're probably better off in another career.

In this post, we're looking at what it takes to be an effective community support worker (CSW). We break down the top 10 characteristics, interests, and skills needed to really thrive in this job.

By the end, you'll know if a CSW career makes sense for you, and exactly how to get started.

Updated January 2024

Medical office assistants often find themselves pulled in many different directions. Picture this: The phone is ringing, frustrated patients are demanding to see the doctor immediately, a pile of voice recordings is waiting to be transcribed, and you still need to collect a blood sample from the patient in room two.

In a busy hospital or clinic, it might seem like you don’t have much say over how you organize your time. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep the chaos under control.

Read on to learn why time management is so crucial in healthcare settings and what practical tips you can follow to improve your skills in this area.

Amind continuing high demand for personal support workers in Ontario, the government is relaunching a special bursary to help PSW students pay for tuition and costs during their internship. 

The Personal Support Worker Challenge Fund provides money for tuition, textbooks, and supplies, plus a stipend to support students while they’re on work placements. It debuted in 2021 and was such a success that the government is bringing it back for 2022.

Have you thought about becoming a personal support worker but didn’t think you could afford tuition? Don’t miss this limited-time opportunity to get your PSW program at no cost to you. 

Keep reading to learn about eligibility requirements, important deadlines, and other key facts about the Personal Support Worker Challenge Fund. 

Updated January 2024

Medical office assistants (MOAs) have a unique role that blends administrative and patient care responsibilities.

While MOAs are primarily responsible for clerical tasks—like scheduling appointments, controlling inventory, maintaining patient records, and coordinating billing—they may also perform and assist with important clinical procedures.

Wondering exactly which procedures you may be asked to assist with, or carry out alone, as an MOA?

Updated March 2023

Have any doubts about how important health care aides are in the medical profession? Wondering exactly how you'll be supporting patients, and improving their quality of life, as a health care aide?

You've come to the right place. In this post, we'll break down five solid ways in which HCAs truly make a difference in the lives of their patients (and patients' families) in both practical and very personal ways.

Let's get straight to it!

Updated December 2023

Working with at-risk populations is central to community service work.

CSWs are trained to support people dealing with serious life challenges, which may include addictions, mental health disorders, cases of domestic violence, and other, high-stress situations that sometimes lead to acute crises.

When we experience a crisis, our ability to cope and make decisions is seriously impaired. We need specialized support to regain control and find an effective solution to the problem at hand.

CSWs are trained to provide that support, and stop individuals in crisis from harming themselves or others. No easy task!

Non-violent crisis intervention training typically introduces students to a step-by-step model—a guide they can follow to help others get through traumatic experiences in the safest, most effective way possible.

In this post, we walk current (and prospective) CSW students through the seven-step approach many social workers use.

After years of working various retail jobs and then staying home to raise her three kids, Amanda Gauthier decided it was time to get some career training.

She had no post-secondary education and was nervous about going back to school in her 30s. She also struggled with “mom guilt” for taking on this new challenge while her children were still very little. Her youngest was not even school age yet.

But she was passionate about helping people and ready to pursue a new path. So she took the plunge and enrolled in the Community Services Worker program at Herzing College.

It was a decision that changed her life.

We spoke with Amanda recently to learn about her experience with the course, the instructor, and the internship.

Here are the highlights of our conversation.

Marina Denisova always knew she wanted to help people change their lives for the better.

She completed graduate studies in social work in her native Russia. But when she came to Canada, she knew she needed additional training.

She needed to build on her English language skills and learn about the social programs and systems that were in place in this country.

That’s what led her to enrol in the Community Services Worker (CSW) program at Herzing.

Marina graduated from the program and is now an ECE assistant with the Ottawa Catholic School Board.

We spoke with her recently to get her thoughts on the CSW course, the instructor, and the overall Herzing experience.

Here’s what she had to say.

Updated January 2024

Eager to play an essential part in helping hospitals and clinics run smoothly? Medical office administration might be the field for you.

Medical office administrators (MOAs) are the friendly faces at the front desk. They do everything from greeting patients, updating files, and scheduling appointments to processing billing, preparing exam rooms, and collecting lab results. It’s vital work that really has an impact.

But every job has both advantages and drawbacks. And it’s important to understand the full picture before committing to a career path.

In this post, we take you through the major pros and cons of becoming a medical office administrator.

Learn what to expect and see if this role is a good fit for you.

Updated January 2024

If you want a healthcare career that involves challenging, highly detailed work but doesn’t require years of training, you’re smart to be looking into becoming a medical lab assistant.

This job is all about collecting samples and running routine tests to help doctors diagnose illness and make decisions about patient care. It’s important work that requires great precision and accuracy.

And now is an excellent time to become a medical lab assistant. The Government of Canada Job Bank expects good to very good demand for this profession across most of the country.

So what does it take to land one of those roles? How do you actually become a medical lab assistant?

Here are five simple steps you need to follow.