Did you know that healthcare is the field with the highest projected growth? Now is a great time to get into the field if you’re looking for job security and a fulfilling career.
But what do you need to know about working in healthcare before you get started? Healthcare jobs aren’t easy, and there’s often a lot of school or training (or both) before you’re able to get started.
Is it worth the commitment for you? We’re here to help you make that decision. If you’re looking into healthcare careers, you’re in the right place.
Keep reading for 10 things that you want to keep in mind when you’re considering whether or not a career in healthcare is right for you.
1. Schedules Vary Depending on the Job
Many people associate the healthcare field with long days and long nights, potentially with 24-hour shifts from time to time.
While this isn’t unrealistic depending on the specific job that you choose (some nurses and doctors have experienced this firsthand) it isn’t the only option.
Many professionals in the medical field work a normal 9-5. These people often work in clinics or doctor’s offices rather than in hospitals or large facilities. Some of them are admin while others are doctors, assistants, and surgical technicians.
It’s not uncommon for some jobs to only be 3 days per week (though these days may be long and unreliable).
Before writing off healthcare as a career with too much of a time commitment, look into the specific career that you want.
2. The Job is Reliable
If you want to make sure that you have a safe career with benefits (see Commonspirit Health employee benefits for an example) healthcare is a good bet.
Because the field is constantly growing, there’s good job security. Many places can’t afford to lose staff members.
You also have the flexibility to work anywhere in the country, so if a big move is in your future, you’re covered.
Many careers are unreliable, and it’s hard to know whether or not you’re secure. This isn’t the case in healthcare.
3. The Job is Enjoyable
Not everyone gets to love their job. Not everyone in the healthcare field is going to love their job either, but overall it’s considered one of the more enjoyable “typical” jobs to have.
The money and work-life balance can be good, the job directly helps people so you may get a strong feeling of commitment, and there’s very little busywork.
This obviously isn’t going to be true across the board, but as a general rule, people who work in healthcare enjoy doing it. It’s a job that requires a calling.
4. There’s Room for Career Growth
The healthcare field has a lot of room for personal advancement if that’s what you desire.
If you start off as an assistant, you may be able to take some classes while doing your work to push yourself forward. You’ll have the experience and you’ll get to figure out which fields are right and wrong for you.
Once you figure out an area that you’d like to advance in, it’s all about getting the degrees. Some industries may help pay for college if it means that you’re going to be providing more and better services for them.
Many people don’t have the money or time for any kind of medical school when they’re straight out of college. Some don’t even have the money for a 4-year college. Some fields within the healthcare industry only require a certification of some kind or an associate’s degree, making it more accessible.
Once you’re in, it’s time to advance.
5. You Have Options
When you’re thinking about healthcare jobs, the first things that come to mind are doctors, surgeons, and nurses. Then you have various specialists and assistants.
In reality, there are so many fields within healthcare that it’s more than likely that there’s going to be something that fits your skillset and interests.
Some healthcare professionals are strictly admin, meaning that if your experience is all in office work, there’s still a job for you.
Some professionals work with specific groups of people. If you’re passionate about helping children or the elderly, there are facilities specifically for that. If you want to help people who are suffering from addiction, or people experiencing homelessness, there are spaces for that as well.
Healthcare can mean community aid or it can mean the direct healthcare found in doctor’s offices and hospitals around the world.
6. You Know That You’re Helping
Some jobs feel meaningless. What purpose are you serving in your career? Are you making people happy? Are you making a change?
Working in healthcare can ensure that the answers to both of those questions are a resounding “yes”.
The work that healthcare professionals do is important. It’s often the difference between life and death.
You get to help people directly and gain hands-on experience in the process of changing lives.
7. There’s a Schedule for You
We don’t all operate on the same circadian rhythm. Some of us are early birds, others are night owls. Some people need more or less sleep than others.
If you’re someone with a unique sleep schedule, standard 8-5 jobs might not work for you. You might be put off by the early hours often required in the healthcare field, especially if you’ve experienced them firsthand while in school.
In the work world, though, you may have more flexibility, especially in a hospital or specialized facility (like a mental health inpatient program, or a nursing home, for example).
These places need workers at all hours of the day, even late at night. If you’re an “up late” kind of person, this might be a perfect fit.
Is Working In Healthcare Right for You?
There are plenty of jobs in healthcare to choose from, so working in healthcare can look like anything from admin work to surgery depending on your education and goals. You get to help people in real-time and see the results of your efforts. What’s better than that?
If you’re interested, look into degree programs near you for healthcare programs and see what healthcare jobs are available. For more posts like this, visit the rest of our site.
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