Ready to take your career to a new level or in an entirely new direction into health care, but wonder how you’ll carve out time to get there? The Bureau of Labor And Statistics Estimates that between now and 2022, the availability of health care careers will continue to steadily climb. Our tips can help you transition into a fulfilling health care career without breaking the bank.
1. Look to integrative education models. If you’ve been thinking about going back to school, but wonder how you’ll manage an internship, classes, and practical learning while maintaining your current job, consider an integrated model that offers all-inclusive learning. Maybe you’re ready to achieve a higher pay scale, but still need to complete your diploma to land these better paying jobs. Penn Foster is a great example of an educational outlet that fosters all levels of career advancement. You can earn a diploma, move onto a health care trade and take courses essential for advancing your career in the field. Models like this one are designed for busy, ambitious, career oriented individuals. The program is also offered online, and is pretty affordable.
2. Research internships that are incentive based:
Many people assume all internships are unpaid, but this is not the case. While the pay is usually low for internships, many do offer compensation. You can ask this right up front when selecting your placement.
The internships that don’t pay offer other incentives well-worth researching. Many will provide letters of recommendation to potential employers. Because health care can be competitive, a “seal of approval” to get your foot in the door from other respected and established health care establishments is key to landing jobs you want most. In some cases, internships provide a guarantee that they will hire you on after your internship. While you may need to meet certain qualifications to be placed following your internship, this is one of the most ideal opportunities to save time in the job search later.
The US Department of Health & Human Services is a great resource to search health care internships.
3. Consider these two people for help with advancing your career forward:
A headhunter: Headhunters have a reputation for finding the best jobs. If you’re juggling a full-time job, possibly finishing up school or are simply a busy person, consider hiring a head hunter. Head hunters have the inside scoop on what jobs will become available. Because they’ll take a cut for getting you hired on, they’ll help create your resume and groom you to the be “the” coveted candidate the company can’t live without.
A mentor. If you prefer a more subtle approach to landing a job in health care, consider a mentor. A mentor is someone who knows you personally and has already invested in helping you on your career path. Essentially, they want to see you succeed. Explore Health Careers is a national program supporting the use of mentors to help advance your health care career. Because your mentor has taken the time to know you professionally and personally and they care about how health care evolves, they can help you land a job where your skills and talents will be best utilized.
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
