Q: I've been in the same job for 10 years now. My family demands that I get a better-paying job, but I am scared of quitting and facing the interviewing process. What can I do?

A: Your family wants to see you advance in your job, and after 10 years of doing the same work, it is worth a try. Before you force yourself to start a job search, consult a career coach at a community college. Many community college career centers are open to the public, as long as you live within the district. You can conquer your fear of interviewing by discussing the problem and practicing the interviewing process with a counselor. Private career coaches can be found either on the Web or in the local newspaper, but they likely will have higher rates than the community college. Whichever path you choose to take, don't quit your job before you get a new job. Once you feel comfortable with the interviewing process, post your résumé on job boards, and send it to companies for which you would like to work. When you go to an interview, you will need to show that confidence I hope you have developed.

Job Hopping Required To Find Ethical Company

Q: I am a rehab therapist working for a contract company that provides therapy services to a nursing home. My job is to determine who is and is not appropriate for therapy and develop plans of treatment for them. If I do not recommend what is appropriate, I run the risk of fines, jail time and losing my license. Medicare fraud is rampant in this industry, and I have left several jobs because I was asked to participate in it, which I refuse to do.

I finally found a job in which these fraudulent practices did not go on. My supervisor handled fraudulent requests for therapy and dealt with administration and upper management, so we, as therapists, could do our jobs legitimately and not be involved in such things. Unfortunately, our great supervisor left for a hospital position and was replaced by someone unqualified. The new supervisor only has an associate's degree and no experience managing. She is intimated by administration, so rather than refusing to do unethical things, she will bend over backward to please them. We are asked to do unethical things weekly, and when we refuse, administration threatens to cancel the contract with the company. Now the environment is terrible, and our once-pristine record no longer is respected by administration. How can our therapy team report fraud when none of us has participated in it? And how many times do I have to change jobs to find an ethical therapy services company?

A: You have placed honesty and high ethics before money, and you are to be commended for such honorable behavior. Don't lose faith in the system. Just because your therapy team has not committed fraud does not mean you cannot report knowledge of it. It is your duty only to report it, not to investigate it or prove it. You may want to look for a job first at a rehabilitation institute connected to a reputable hospital. Once you are out of your current company, you can report the company's administration and management team to the state authorities. The state licensing agency then can audit the company's records to see who was involved in fraudulent therapy requests and which therapists complied with them.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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