Congratulations! You are interested in joining ranks with 18 million Americans working in healthcare today. Choosing the right healthcare profession might feel daunting. Because there are so many options, it can be hard to narrow down just which healthcare profession is right for you. Healthcare offers a number of thriving professions with excellent pay and opportunities for growth. No matter what level of education you seek, you can find a great career as an allied health professional.
Using the following 7 tips, you can find the dream job you want to pursue in healthcare.
7 Tips for Finding Your Dream Job in Healthcare
Take a career aptitude test-or two. Career tests are a series of questions that help determine careers in which you may excel or enjoy. The tests evaluate your personal interests, strengths, and values. Aptitude tests develop a list of careers tailor-made for you. Some popular free tests include CareerFitter, MAPP, and Jung Typology Test. Consider, these tests just might help you recognize your own strengths and interests and help focus your career search.
Meet with your high school or college counselor. You are not the first, nor will you be the last person trying to find the right career path in healthcare. Counselors can offer resources and be a great sounding board. In addition, they can help you navigate the ways you can explore different allied health professions.
Consider how much education you want to pursue. Are you more of a hands-on person rather than a book-learner? Maybe a career that requires an two-year associate degree or less is right for you. Many high-paying healthcare careers, like a physical therapy assistant (PTA), occupational therapy assistant (OTA), pharmacy technician, or respiratory therapy, can be attained in a short time. However, if you love the pursuit of learning, a career requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher might bring you greater pleasure.
Reflect on the lifestyle you want to live. The author Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spent our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” In fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. Healthcare is people care-and that never stops! Do you mind working weekends, holidays, or night shifts? Or would you prefer a 9-5 job? Decisions like this can help narrow your focus as you explore healthcare careers.
Talk to everyone you meet in healthcare. Ask those you interact with, both personally and in healthcare settings, about their jobs. What do they love or dislike about what they do? How happy are they with their career choice? What would they do differently if they were starting out again? As you ask questions like these, you will find yourself either gravitating towards or away from a particular healthcare profession.
Research the pay and projected job growth. Will you be satisfied with the pay offered for a particular healthcare profession? Or is there another profession quite similar but may offer a higher pay? Probably the worst thing that could happen is to invest time and money into an education only to find a lack of jobs. Again, if projected job growth is low, is there a similar career path that provides more security after graduation? Also, a little research can go a long way to ensure you land your dream job. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics offers great insight into allied healthcare professions.
Job shadow healthcare professionals. As you narrow down healthcare professions your interested in consider arranging a job shadow. Job shadow or volunteer opportunities are always available. Not only will this help you really assess if the career is right for you, many schools require job shadows or volunteer hours as entry into the program.
Choose a Healthcare Job You Love!
To sum up, Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Healthcare offers a variety of excellent career pathways. In addition, there is tons of demand for allied health professionals. Use these tips to explore and find the perfect fit for you!
Take a look at a few allied healthcare professions that might be right for you.
Allied Healthcare Careers you’ll want to check out!
- Athletic Trainer
- Audiologist
- Dietician and Nutritionist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant
- Pharmacist and Pharmacy technician
- Phlebotomist
- Physician Assistant
- Psychologist
- Respiratory Therapist
- Social Worker
- Speech Therapist