Healthcare is a popular industry for those professionals seeking a career move, simply because of the number of opportunities it presents and also the growth and success of it. It is, after all, a reliable and beneficial industry to be in. The healthcare industry will always be seeking new individuals to employ and looking to broaden its knowledge base. This, of course, means more competition, but it also means more opportunities available in such a broad and ever-changing industry.
Below are some key factors to consider when opting for a career change into healthcare and how to make it work.
1. Look into Your Career Options
Deciding you want to make a career change and move into healthcare isn’t enough. You need to have a broad and detailed knowledge of all the avenues open to you, and ensure you start on the right path suited to your needs. It’s crucial to pinpoint the position you’re aiming for, and then proceed to research everything there is to know about it, including entry requirements, qualifications needed, expected salary and working hours, to name a few. Ensure that this position would fit with the home life and lifestyle you want and that it is the right career move for you before you make any concrete plans.
2. Check Where Your Current Skills May Be an Asset
If you’ve had a lifetime of alternative jobs and have built a valuable career and skillset in an area completely unrelated to healthcare, don’t be so quick to dismiss your skills. Many areas of healthcare have need of other skills too, especially in the areas of finance and business.
For instance, if you’ve had a lifetime of business experience and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to managing a business, this can be a highly valued skillset when coupled with nursing requirements. There is a high demand for nursing professionals who also have expertise when it comes to business.
If you’re wondering just how valuable a combination of these skills can be, you can research the expected MSN MBA salary for an idea of the benefits of this career path.
There are many different positions within the healthcare industry, which means any dedicated experience and skill you’ve already gained from a different career is more than likely going to be needed in any new position within healthcare.
3. Do Your Research
If you have the opportunity to interview for a new position in your chosen healthcare setting, but you don’t have the relevant experience on your resume, it’s important to research everything about the industry you’re applying for and what is required of the position. This is relevant to any interview, of course, but it’s even more crucial when you don’t have any relevant career experience. It means you need to work extra hard to prove that you’re capable of what the interviewer is asking.
It’s also a good idea to plan ways you can relate the experience you do have to the position you’re applying for, even if it’s from a completely different job industry. As mentioned in point 2, you may have transferable and relevant skills; for instance, if you have 5 years’ experience leading a team in a management position and you are applying for a senior position in a healthcare firm, use this experience to your advantage.
4. Carry Out Any Necessary Extra-Curricular Activities
Depending on the area of healthcare you wish to move into, it may be beneficial to have on your resume any experience related to the field. If you don’t have this under your career experience, then consider looking into voluntary positions in your spare time, even if this is a few hours a week within a hospital or healthcare setting.
Doing so will have a positive effect for your resume, as it shows a willingness to get involved in the industry you’re working towards, and also gives you experience where you may not have had any before. Granted, voluntary experience may not seem as valuable as 10 years’ experience working in the healthcare industry, but it still shows willingness and dedication, and it’s better than having nothing at all on your resume!
5. Gain Extra Qualifications
Depending on the career choice you’re considering, you may need to return to education in order to gain the necessary qualifications. Some healthcare positions may not require additional qualifications or may offer on the job training which works towards a qualification, but others may have it as a non-negotiable necessity.
There are many options available to an adult worker needing to gain further qualifications while also needing to work full time, and this includes the availability of online learning or night school classes. You can acquire any qualification, up to degree level and beyond, using online institutions and universities relevant to your field, or the healthcare industry you are applying to may offer their own online system of gaining a qualification. Most online learning institutions can be worked around full-time employment, meaning you can still work while gaining your qualification.
Naturally, this requires serious commitment, patience, and dedication. Before enrolling for a new qualification or education course, be sure it is what you want, and that you are enrolling in the correct program relevant to the healthcare career you are pursuing.
6. Tailor Your Resume to The Job You Want
This is always relevant when it comes to any job application or interview, but particularly prudent when making a switch to the healthcare industry if you don’t have any relevant experience. You need to be sure to write your opening resume statement directed at the healthcare industry, and highlight any link to healthcare, no matter how small. This could be a healthcare client you previously had, for example, even if your position was unrelated, or it could be your prowess at science and mathematics during your time in education. Maybe you even won an award in school for a science project – every positive helps and should be highlighted.