The bad news: The nation's unemployment rate remained stubbornly high at 9.1 percent. The good news: The healthcare sector added 29,700 jobs in August, and over 205,100 new jobs in the first eight months of 2011. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals added 7,700 new jobs in August, 11,000 new jobs in July, and 52,600 new jobs in 2011. The good news continues for doctors’ offices, which added 5,600 jobs in August and 30,600 new jobs in 2011.
If you’re considering a career in healthcare, things are not as dismal as they are often portrayed in the media. Yes, the competition is fierce for high-paying healthcare jobs, but there are things you can do to put the odds of landing a job in your favor.
Some suggestions:
Stay in School. If you’re in a regular college, finish that Associates or Bachelors Degree in nursing, physical therapy or pre-med. If you’re in a private college, hang in there and get your nursing or healthcare certificate.
Join Healthcare Organizations & Groups. These can help launch your healthcare career. Organizations like the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Organization offers support, advice, networking events and job finding strategies for women in healthcare. For nurses, there are a number of social networking sites you might consider joining. These include Nurse.com and Nurse Together, which offer advice, education and forums for nurses, nursing students and anyone considering a career in nursing.
Do Volunteer Work. If you have the time in your schedule, do some healthcare volunteer work to get real world experience. This is also good for networking and connecting with supervisors who may be able to help you land a full-time paid position. Check out sites like HealthCare Volunteer.
For an added perspective on volunteering, check out this video:
If you have any thoughts or suggestions about finding a job in healthcare, feel free to share them in the comments section.
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.
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