The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly made people across the world understand the importance of good health. What’s more, communities have come to appreciate the talent, skills, and dedication of healthcare professionals in various fields. As a result, people of all ages are considering a career in the sector.
If you’ve been inspired by the many healthcare and support staffs’ passion and commitment, it isn’t too late to secure a role in the medical field yourself.
Here are the 12 secrets to switching to a healthcare career in 2021.
- Pick the Perfect Profession for You
There are thousands of professions you can pursue in healthcare. For example, you could secure an RN to BSN degree to become a charge nurse or registered nurse supervisor, or you could automatically enter the sector as a medical assistant, ultrasound technician, or medical scribe.
Before you apply for a vacancy or enroll in a program, you must gain an in-depth understanding of a job’s requirements to ensure it matches your personality, work ethic, and commitment. For example, if you choose to become a charge nurse, you’ll need to first obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and then an RN to BSN degree.
Therefore, you must be willing to commit to many hours of education to secure a career. However, once you complete an RN to BSN program or similar, you’ll be rewarded with a respected occupation, job security, and multiple career avenues.
- Consider Your Circumstances
Of course, you must weigh your desired career with your current circumstances. For example, if you have young children or are caring for a dependent loved one, you might not have the time or desire to commit to a career that requires 12-hour shifts.
However, it could suit your personal or family commitments in a few years. If so, there is no reason why you can’t take the steps to earn a degree in your spare time, such as an ADN or RN to BSN degree.
Think carefully about your current needs before applying for a role. Some careers might require long shifts and hard work, but they might provide a fantastic salary. However, you could secure a healthcare job that provides a more flexible schedule for a smaller income.
Comparing your career against your commitments will ensure you don’t overextend yourself and that you enter an occupation at the right time. Otherwise, you might experience intense pressure that could make you hate a job that’s perfect for you.
Browse the job market for the different roles that could match your goals, personality, and circumstances.
- Assess Your Existing Skills
Hospitals, practices, and care facilities often recruit employees who possess various skills, which isn’t limited to a medical degree. While some professions will require a degree, such as a charge nurse earning an RN to BSN, you might have transferrable skills that could match a support staff role.
For instance, if you work in human resources, browse the job boards for a HR role in a hospital or medical practice. If you’ve trained as a front desk receptionist, you could look for the same position in a healthcare setting.
You will return home every day knowing you’ve helped to make a difference in a healthcare organization, which could improve your career satisfaction.
- Create a Healthcare Resume
Regardless of the role you choose, working in healthcare will serve your local community. Each day you will feel a sense of pride in your job, as you will have made a positive difference to patients’ lives directly or indirectly. If this sounds like an ideal avenue, you must create a resume that targets the healthcare sector.
Add a summary that states your interest in a field. Also, if you have any experience in the sector, highlight it in your resume. For instance, if you managed a healthcare account as a digital marketer, talk about a project’s success on your resume.
However, if you don’t have any healthcare experience, shine a spotlight on the various skills that could prove valuable, such as a customer-facing experience, mathematical skills, or technical knowledge.
Don’t forget to highlight your education on your resume, too, including the institutions you attended and any diplomas you have earned, such as an MBA, marketing diploma, or an RN to BSN degree.
If you’re unsure how to write an impressive healthcare resume, reach out to a healthcare recruiter. They could provide informative feedback on educational gaps to fill or skills to highlight to make you a more attractive candidate.
- Volunteer or Intern
The healthcare industry depends on dedicated, passionate employees. If you’re not 100% committed to a role, you might not help an organization to exceed patient standards and outcomes each day.
To ensure you don’t enter a career that brings little joy, you should gain experience in the industry to identify if it is the perfect path for you. Before training or studying towards a new healthcare role, consider reducing your working hours in your existing job and volunteer in a medical setting. Many hospitals and practices will also welcome interns, which will allow you to gain hands-on experience.
Medical professionals must deal with various distressing or demanding scenarios each day. After all, you might need to have difficult conversations with patients, deal with aggressive relatives, or clean-up various bodily fluids. If your volunteering experience or internship is upsetting, or you don’t have a strong stomach, you could quickly discover a potential medical profession isn’t right for your personality. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to meet many professionals to receive helpful career advice, and the extra experience will look great on your resume.
- Take a Leap of Faith
Switching careers at any point in your life can be overwhelming. If you’re not happy in a role or industry, you will need to take a leap of faith when pursuing a new career with zero or limited experience.
While there is no guarantee you will love a healthcare job, it might fit your personality, lifestyle, or financial goals more than your current career. Changing industries is scary and brave, but it could pay off in the long-term.
- Never Apologize for Your Inexperience
Many people will make the switch to healthcare at different stages of life. While you might feel concerned about your lack of experience in an industry, you must never apologize for it.
If you apologize for your old finance career or hospitality experience, you could give a hiring manager a reason to doubt your ability and talent. Instead, you must articulate why your previous experience is a business asset and not a professional weakness.
Aim to become your biggest fan throughout your career. By doing so, your confidence will seep through when talking to hiring managers, colleagues, and patients. As a result, they might place greater trust in your knowledge and ability.
Everyone must start somewhere. Don’t beat yourself up for initially picking the wrong route to success. Your decision to start over in a new role or industry is admirable, as it is a testament to your bravery, hard work ethic, and commitment to your goals.
- Reach Out to Other Healthcare Professionals
It might be beneficial to talk to a healthcare professional to learn more about the desired role. Talking to an expert will provide an opportunity to receive honest, impartial answers to your many questions.
For example, they could provide advice regarding the level of education you’ll need to enter a career. They also could provide an in-depth insight into the job market, day-to-day tasks, and the various career paths you can explore in the future.
If you don’t know many healthcare professionals, you could connect with people across the industry on LinkedIn or Twitter. Many medical professionals might be more than happy to answer your questions and share their experiences to help you make an informed decision.
- Look for Flexible Degree Programs
Believe it or not, you don’t need to give up your job to become a medical professional or grow in the field. It doesn’t matter if you’ve set your sights on becoming a charge nurse or a healthcare administrator; there is an online program to match your needs.
As mentioned earlier, once you’ve completed an ADN, you could study for an RN to BSN degree online.
An online RN to BSN program is designed to fit around a student’s busy career, as there are no strict login times, and you can complete coursework 100% online.
- Perseverance is Key
Gaining experience, boosting your knowledge, and gaining trust in your ability isn’t easy, but your efforts will pay off with hard work and perseverance. There might be times when you will struggle to grasp a topic or feel overwhelmed when transitioning to a new industry, but don’t throw in the towel.
Keep your professional goals in mind, and lean on your professors, fellow students, or loved ones for help and support when needed.
Whenever you doubt your passion or ability, remind yourself why you have chosen to enter the field. Almost everyone feels out of their depth or afraid when entering an unknown sector, but you’ll soon adjust to the industry. Don’t allow a few obstacles to stand in the way of a rewarding career. Look for ways to overcome any hurdles and master a topic or skill.
- Interview Preparation
After thoroughly researching a job, networking with others, or earning a degree, you might feel ready to apply for a healthcare role. Once your resume is perfect and you’ve hit send on an application, you must prepare for an interview.
For example, you could:
- Learn about a position’s requirements
- Research an organization
- Ask your network for potential interview questions
- Stay updated on the industry by reading medical publications and trustworthy online articles
Also, consider your body language, work on your soft skills, and find a professional interview outfit that will make you look and feel confident. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself during an interview. For example, a healthcare organization will value ambition, as it highlights your commitment to patient care and hard work ethic. So, if you’ve trained to become a registered nurse, don’t be afraid to express your goal of gaining an RN to BSN degree in the near or distant future.
- Stay Updated on Current Events
The healthcare industry is required to follow public and government policies each day. For this reason, they expect many of their employees to follow current events to ensure they remain compliant. You could impress an employer at an interview by remaining updated on political news, such as changes to insurance coverage or the Affordable Care Act.
If anything, your interest could prove you have a genuine passion for healthcare. It could then convince a hiring manager that you’re the right person for a vacancy.
Conclusion
Almost any professional can make the switch to healthcare, as the sector requires a wide variety of skills, such as finance, marketing, IT, human resources, general management, or administration. If your current industry is bringing you little joy, make the transition to a hospital, practice, or care facility.
It could provide you with greater job satisfaction, as you might feel a sense of pride that your actions are supporting medical standards and outcomes. Alternatively, you could take the time to earn a degree that could help you become a qualified healthcare professional.
Completing a healthcare degree could also boost your confidence, which could encourage you to climb the ranks in the sector and exceed your goals. For instance, you could train to become a nurse and then study for an RN to BSN degree online to enter a senior position as a charge nurse or registered nurse supervisor.
However, take the time to research each role to avoid a decision you later regret. So, browse the job market to ensure you can walk into a role, talk to qualified professionals to receive helpful advice, and gain voluntary experience to make an informed decision.
