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10 Reasons You Should Get a Healthcare Job

10 Reasons You Should Get a Healthcare Job
"What do you plan to do with your life?" It's a question every student remembers all too well. And it's a question many of us still ask ourselves.

The problem is, it is also one of the most difficult questions in the world to actually answer.
It's only natural to want a career that will cover all the bases when it comes to what most people want in life. You want something that will support you financially, that will let you grow, and that will provide room for plenty of upward advancement and stability as the years roll on.

Of course, you also need your work to be mentally and spiritually fulfilling. You want to make a difference and spend your days doing something that really matters.

These are completely natural thoughts to have - as we all seek the same validation in our career of choice. This means you can rest assured that you’re not the only one who is questioning what they should do for the rest of their life, and reasons to choose which potential career you could pursue.

It’s helpful to break down individual reasons as to why you should pursue each potential career that you might be passionate in.

When you do this, you make it easier to understand the pros and cons of whether or not you should pursue that career. This helps present the information in a logical flow for you to make an accurate decision - which is what you should strive for.

With that being said, you should look to healthcare as the gold standard when it comes to a career.

Even as our fragile economy recovers from the recession, healthcare remains one of the most rewarding, opportunity-rich fields out there today.

In this article I will reveal the many benefits of the healthcare industry and discuss how you can land some of the field's most exciting opportunities.

In addition, we will cover some of the additional reasons you should consider getting a healthcare job opportunity. Understanding all the great benefits and reasons as to why you should consider getting a healthcare career opportunity will help you ensure that you make the most informed decision available. 

10 Reasons You Should Get a Healthcare Job:

1. People Are Living Longer

Thanks to the incredible advances in medicine, we're seeing more people living longer than ever. It is becoming common to see people live well into their 90s or even 100s as we advance. All of these people will need qualified professionals around to care for them and help them live their lives to the fullest.

The population won't just need doctors and nurses, either. They'll also need Dentists, Medical Technicians, Lab Specialists, Physical Therapists, Call Center Professionals, Medical Billing Experts, and Dental Hygienists. Collectively, we're talking about close to 5 million new hospital jobs appearing in the sector between now and 2022 - pretty amazing!

This means that the need for qualified healthcare professionals is only rising as time goes on. In essence, the healthcare industry’s estimated patient intake has been steadily rising each year as the estimated lifespan increases.

Healthcare professionals are needed to take care of those rising seniors who are expected to live longer - which means there are plenty of fantastic opportunities available to you and others who want to help individuals who are living longer.

In addition, you can be on the forefront working with some of the advanced technology and medical procedures that is helping individuals live longer.

For those individuals who are passionate about working on the front-edge of technology that is helping people in new and innovative ways, then you should look no further than the healthcare industry. The advancements that are occurring within the healthcare industry are fantastic, and you can witness them, and be a part of those advancements.

Not every career offers those opportunities, so you would be one of the few individuals who can take advantage of those opportunities as they come along.

2. Insurance Is Getting Better

People aren't just living longer, they're also gaining access to better insurance and lasting coverage, thanks to recent reforms like Obamacare.

This means more people are seeking out medical treatment, getting regular check-ups, and making a solid effort to maintain their health the way they should.

As detailed above, healthcare facilities will need as many hands on deck as possible, going forward into the future. Will you be one of them? The fact of the matter is, there are few career options that will be able to offer you the same degree of job security and potential that healthcare can.

Due to the fact that so many new individuals are able to afford healthcare and take care of themselves more with recent affordable healthcare insurance mandates, the industry needs qualified healthcare professionals to help with the increased patient load.

This means that there are plenty of solid opportunities available to those individuals who want to help individuals who previously hadn’t had any healthcare opportunities available to them.

These individuals will present their own challenges, because some of them haven’t had reliable care in quite some time. But if you’re up for a challenge every day in your normal work routine, then you can help those individuals who are seeking healthcare for the first time in a while.

3. High Earning Potential

The Healthcare field doesn't just have a ton of opportunity and job growth, it has some of the highest paying positions in any field.

In comparison to other jobs or professional industries, healthcare has a high earning potential where your pay, related to your skill level and experience, is extremely competitive.

The more skilled you are and the better you become at your job, the more you can expect to be paid.

Healthcare positions often come alongside multiple opportunities to acquire new training and elevate oneself from a viability standpoint. Take advantage of such opportunities as they come, and you are practically guaranteed a bright, prosperous future.

One unique thing about the healthcare industry is that the more experience you have, and the more qualifications you have - the more you can expect to be paid. This means, that the longer you work in the healthcare industry - your earnings can double or even triple from the pay you were receiving when you started.

In other industries, you can eventually cap out - regardless of your experience.

Wouldn’t you want to work in an industry that continually rewards you for the amount of hard work and expertise that you have developed over time? The healthcare industry can offer you those opportunities to gradually increase your pay over time and reward you with each passing year.

Healthcare employers and recruiting managers are constantly looking for qualified professionals, and your earnings will accurately reflect that experience over time.

To learn more about individual career earnings and career earnings outlook over the next decade, take the time to view our Job Salary Trends.

In our Job Salary Trends, you can view over 100 hospital or healthcare careers, and the job outlook for each position.

This will help provide you with even more insight as to what you can potentially earn in the healthcare field, as well as learn more about what you might earn in some positions that you are interested in.

Another great thing about working in the healthcare industry is that healthcare employers, hiring managers, and recruiters are increasingly offering greater benefits to attract and retain healthcare professionals.

For instance, recently hospitals and healthcare facilities have been offering benefits that haven’t been seen before in the healthcare industry.

If I asked you, what career would you expect gets summers off? Most individuals would respond with, “education professionals”, or “teachers”.

And while that is accurate, healthcare professionals are now getting those same benefits.

Due to the fact that healthcare facilities and hospitals are seeking qualified talent, hospitals and healthcare facilities are offering unique and creative benefits to offer their employees such as summers off, flex-time, revenue sharing, and the list goes on.

When you enter into the healthcare industry, you can gain some of the best benefits that are available in the professional world. 

4. Make An Impact

After the desire to make plenty of money and enjoy high job security, most people cite the desire to make a difference as the number one factor that influences their career choice.

No industry allows you to touch lives and make a profound difference quite like the healthcare industry can, and it's not hard to see why.

Healthcare workers are in a prime position to personally change lives, facilitate healing, and offer families important moral support.

Healthcare workers are in a unique position in that they don’t just impact individuals, they can do much more than that. Healthcare workers make an impact on entire communities.

They are essential when it comes to treating diseases, conquering ailments, and keeping society healthy in every possible way. You can help bring new life into the world... or keep an existing life from ending prematurely. Only a job in healthcare can offer you that.

Even though there are moments where the healthcare industry is going to be stressful for you or your coworkers, there are few opportunities in the professional world that will offer you the chance to make an impact or make a difference as the healthcare industry.

This means that you are in a unique position that others won’t be exposed to. In addition, you will be able to help others on a much larger scale than most professions.

In other professions, you might be lucky to impact one person throughout the week and truly make a difference.

In the healthcare industry, you’ll be able to make a difference or truly impact someone positively every fifteen to thirty minutes on your daily shift.

This means that in a normal day, you can impact tens of individuals, and then that number only compounds over time.

If you’re looking for a career in an industry where you can go to work each day and make a difference in someone’s life, then the healthcare industry is for you, and you should pursue a healthcare job.

Healthcare professionals are needed more each day, and they use the education and experience to improve patients’ lives in ways that other professions simply cannot achieve.

How many times can another profession come home to their friends or family and say out loud, “I saved a life today!”

When you work in the healthcare industry, you can have that same chance frequently throughout each day - and you should take great pride in being able to make an impact. 

5. Reasonable Working Conditions

Many jobs that offer the kind of job security, pay potential, and opportunity that a healthcare job does, require their workers to make a lot of sacrifices.

While this can be true for doctors or surgeons, the average healthcare job allows for plenty of free time and energy to raise a family, pursue hobbies, and so forth.

Most working environments don't require workers to endure high stress levels or hard-to-handle working conditions, either. They provide regular hours, pleasant working conditions, and fair working environments.

In other words, the healthcare industry provides a great work-life balance. There are several other industries or careers that require you to dedicate more time to your professional career, and it can become overwhelming quite quickly.

Fortunately, these are concerns you typically don’t have to worry about when it comes to the healthcare industry.

The healthcare industry is taking steps to reduce burnout in their workforce by increasing some of the benefits, investing in employee wellness, and listening to the feedback that their employees are providing them.

In other industries, it feels like you can’t catch a break when you’re working hard and being asked to do more. In the healthcare industry, those feelings are gradually subsiding, as the industry makes a larger commitment to ensuring that their employees feel valued and are balancing their life a bit more.

When an employee feels as if their work-life balance is on equal-footing, then they feel comfortable in their role and the effort they put in each day. In addition, those employees come to work harder the following day because they weren’t so dragged out later on.

Not only does the healthcare job provide better working conditions than other industries when it comes to work-life balance, it also provides better working conditions than some other industries.

Some of those other benefits that are being included for working professionals in the healthcare industry include better employee amenities and features.

For instance, more hospitals are committing to employee wellness. So instead of offering coupons for employees who demonstrate they are going to the gym to stay healthy, they are building entire workout facilities to take care of their employees.

These state of the art workout equipment centers are exclusive to employees, in addition to the nutritional benefits of training staff and personal trainers.

In addition, healthcare facilities and hospitals frequently get newer equipment and facilities for employees at a much faster rate.

Employees don’t have to get stuck with using old equipment, or working in a facility that feels gross and unsanitary at times.

Due to the fact that the healthcare industry has strict regulations and safety standards, hospitals and healthcare facilities must abide by them to stay competitive and attract the most patients by providing the best quality of care.

All of this translates to better and more reasonable working conditions than other industries. If this is something you are looking for in a career, then you should get a healthcare job.

6. Jobs for Everyone

Healthcare isn't just an industry that provides access to a multitude of different jobs. It's also a field that can honestly provide every person with a viable opportunity that suits their experience level, education level, and personal abilities. Someone with a GED is just as capable of finding an opportunity designed for them as someone with a PhD.

This is because working a healthcare job doesn't simply mean going to school for years to become a doctor, a lab technician, or a nurse (although those are all very rewarding pursuits). Hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities need data entry professionals, data analysts, call center workers, and receptionists, as well. There are literally hundreds of roles that need filling, and one of them is sure to be perfect for you.

7. High Job Satisfaction

Sometimes even the best jobs can quickly become routine and boring for people who need plenty of stimulation and variety. The healthcare industry is incredibly unique in that it never becomes boring. In healthcare, there will never be a dull moment.

Why do you think shows like Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, or ER have become so iconic? It's because the world of healthcare is always changing, always evolving, and always exciting. You literally never experience quite the same day at work twice.

Plus you feel needed. When you impact people's lives and make a difference you get a sense of pride and need which adds to your overall esteem and will make you love your job even more.

Why go into an office and push buttons all day for a corporate monster that doesn't know you exist when you can make a difference with a healthcare job and really love what you do?

You can find high job satisfaction in the fact that you can truly be a valued employee or contributing member of society in your job, instead of just an employee number in a payroll doing the same thing every single day with little variation.

Compared to other industries, employees in the healthcare industry typically report higher levels of job satisfaction.

There are fewer moments in life where you can truly say that you made a difference in someone else’s life - and arguably none more so than the healthcare industry. As we mentioned earlier, you have the opportunity to impact tens of individuals on a daily basis.

When you feel like you are truly valued, your level of satisfaction rises in you daily profession. This means that you don’t have to worry about whether or not you are contributing to a meaningless profession.

One of the leading things that contributes to burnout in any industry is feeling like you are just going through the motions, and that your hard work isn’t leading to anything.

In contrast, the healthcare industry doesn’t exist without your contributions. This leads you to truly feeling valued in your hard work, and that’s something you can’t say in any other industry.

If you’re looking for an industry where you can work in reasonable conditions, if not some of the best conditions available - then you should highly consider working in the healthcare industry.

8. Travel

Healthcare jobs are everywhere and are in high demand. Travel Nursing is one of the highest paying routes you can do in Nursing and you get to see different places.

But that's not the only job you can do to travel. Since every healthcare job has a high rate of growth and demand, you could be just about anything in the industry that you wanted and live anywhere you wanted.

If you decide to travel with your healthcare job, you will find you have more power than you thought over your destiny. There are plenty of fantastic tools and resources available to those individuals who want to find healthcare jobs or hospital jobs that offer you plenty of opportunities to travel or set a flexible work schedule.

You can most times decide your schedule, your location, and you get paid more than if you stayed still at a location.

If you gravitate towards high-need areas, they tend to pay more and you will feel even more needed than before.

Another thing you need to consider is that there are plenty of unique opportunities available to those healthcare professionals who want a change of scenery.

The best thing about working in the healthcare industry is that you can work anywhere in the world, due to the fact that that the entire globe needs healthcare in some fashion or another.

This means there are virtually no limitations as to where you can work, and it really gravitates towards where you want to work.

Due to the fact that the healthcare industry is currently experience a shortage, you can find available positions in virtually every market.

No other industry can offer you that opportunity, as certain industries are relegated to individual cities or parts of the country.

As a healthcare professional, you can either choose to work in a hospital or healthcare facility across the country, or you can choose a healthcare profession where you can work from a distance and travel at your leisure.

One such example of this profession is telehealth nursing. Telehealth nurses communicate with their patients from remote locations through the use of modern technology.

With the advent of new technology innovations that are being applied to the healthcare industry with each day, you can increase the potential jobs that might open up over time and become available to you as a healthcare professional looking for opportunities to travel or travel while you work.

9. Free School

One unique thing about the healthcare industry compared to other industries is that education plays a big role in the roles you can fulfill, and both hospitals and healthcare facilities are taking steps to make sure you have all the tools you can increase your education.

You could get your schooling for free if you get a healthcare job. There are a ton of programs that will pay off your student loans in exchange for a certain number of service years. The National Health Service Corps will repay as much as $120,000 of your loans if you work as a resident for two-to-three years in an underserved area of the country. If you stay longer, you can get more paid off.

There are some programs that will even pay your loans off ahead of time through grants and scholarships. You can usually find these before college or while in college. You can also do public service and have your loans paid off.

You typically work for non-profits, or in high-need areas or areas of government. These programs will pay off your debt after you pay on your loans for 10 years.

With the recent qualified talent shortage in the healthcare industry, hospitals and healthcare facilities are willing to pay for an education program with a commitment from you that you work for them afterwards to eventually pay it off.

These programs help individuals gain access to the education they desperately need for their healthcare career, and also put qualified talent in positions that desperately need talent.

In addition, hospitals and healthcare facilities are increasingly offering education opportunities to their employees who currently hold roles.

This means that you don’t have to be a student seeking a future healthcare opportunity to qualify for future education opportunities, as they are also increasingly available to those individuals who are currently working in the healthcare industry.

On top of all those benefits, there are also plenty of scholarships and grants that are available to individuals looking to pursue a healthcare career.

In other words, it has never been easier to start a career in the healthcare industry if you’re truly passionate about starting a career to earn a healthcare job.

10. Respect

People have a ton of respect for healthcare workers. It's a noble profession where you sacrifice a part of yourself in serving others, so people respect you.

There is a bit of clout that comes with working a healthcare job that you wouldn't get from working a desk job at a big corporation.

People respect the fact that you help others and it goes a long way; people love helping those that help others. If you really want purpose and meaning, then a healthcare job could give you that; and if you want to be respected, you can get that, too.

Healthcare jobs require a lot from their employees. Which means that everyone understands that healthcare employees go above and beyond to ensure the best quality of care for their employees.

If you’re looking for a professional career where the everyone respects your experience and expertise, then you should consider getting a healthcare job.

Other Additional Reasons To Consider

There are a host of other great reasons as to why you should consider getting a healthcare job. We’ll break down a few of these fantastic additional reasons, so that you can ensure that you are making the most informed decision on a potential career choice.

Explosive Growth

The healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. That number is expected to continue rising over the next decade as individuals continue to live longer, or more individuals gain access to premium healthcare as we mentioned earlier.

This means that you can rest assured knowing that you are in a career where the industry is constantly growing.

Constant growth means you don’t have to worry about whether or not you are going to have a job in a week or so.

When you don’t have to worry about whether or not you have a job in the long run, you can take heed knowing that you are in one of the most stable job environments.

Everyone wants to find a job where they don’t have to worry about their employment prospects down the road. The healthcare industry can help resolve that search process.

Flexibility

Another great aspect of working in the healthcare industry and securing a healthcare job is the flexibility. As we previously mentioned above, there are plenty of new benefits that are becoming available for healthcare workers who want to have a little bit more flexibility in their routine.

The good news, is that healthcare facilities and hospitals are accommodating that by offering their employees flex-time and flexible work scheduling.

Flexible work scheduling might include having summers off as we mentioned earlier.

In addition, flexibility might arise from the ability to dictate different shifts at different times, or work at odd hours.

In a typical work week, most individuals work from 9 - 5 but in the healthcare industry, patients need care at all hours of the day, every single day of the week.

This means that qualified healthcare professionals are needed to fill those shifts that aren’t typical 9 - 5 shifts. This means as a healthcare professional, you can work unique hours that more closely align with what you want, instead of being restricted to a specific time frame.

For those individuals who want to work different shifts each week or rotating shifts periodically, then the healthcare industry can also offer that.

For instance, Registered Nurses might rotate amongst their coworkers when they pick up a night shift.

If you’re looking for a bit more flexibility in your daily routine, then you should consider getting a healthcare job.

Diversity

Another great benefit to working in the healthcare industry is that there is plenty of diversity. Not only is there diversity in who you work with on a daily basis, but there is also diversity in the patients you interact with on a daily basis.

There aren’t many other careers or industries out there where you have the ability to meet someone new every single day, and learn about individual cultures and individual personalities.

In addition, hospitals and healthcare facilities are so big, that you can meet a new coworker every single day that you work there.

If you’re looking for an environment that is diverse, then you can also find that in a healthcare job.

One of the unique aspects of the healthcare industry is that you’re not relegated to working in the same environment throughout your healthcare career.

For instance, if you’re a doctor who was previously working in the hospital and treating patients - that doesn’t mean that you’re relegated to working in a hospital for the remainder of your career.

You can choose to move to an individual healthcare treatment facility, doctor’s office, etc.

This means that healthcare professionals have a tremendous amount of diversity in not only the people they work with or interact with, but also in their workplace setting.

If you’re looking for a diverse environment, then you should look no further than the healthcare industry.

Upward Mobility

One of the many things that individuals seek in their career is the ability to move upward through the leadership and management structure. Well you can rest assured, that the healthcare industry can provide you with the upward mobility that you’re looking for.

As we’ve previously mentioned, the healthcare industry is constantly looking for qualified professionals who have experience. And as roles become available, individuals who have that experience are recommended for future positions.

The reason they are recommended from within is due to the fact that existing employees already understand the hospital or corporate culture.

As we previously mentioned, there are also plenty of education opportunities to continue to advance your education or skills as you work in the healthcare industry.

This means that not only will you have plenty of opportunities to advance through the leadership and management structure, but it’s almost a guarantee in the healthcare industry.

Each Day Is Exciting

Another great benefit to working in the healthcare industry is that it never feels mundane. Each day is exciting and unique, and will present its own challenges each day.

This means that you can go to work each day knowing that you won’t get bored as you would in plenty of other professions.

Taking the Next Steps

If you're convinced by now that healthcare is the can't-miss career opportunity you've been searching for, then it only stands to reason that you'd want to know what to do next. First of all, it's essential that you consider all of your available options.

Start by considering your personal strengths and desires as far as what you hope to get out of your future job. If you love the idea of working one-on-one with patients, then physical therapy or nursing might be a good fit for you. However, if you're more introverted or science-oriented, you might prefer laboratory tech or radiology.

You may also want to consider both clinical and non-clinical options. Not everyone is cut out to be a doctor, a nurse, or a psychiatrist. You may be able to achieve the same degree of job satisfaction in a position as a counselor, a hotline worker, a support group worker, or a pharmaceutical research worker. Explore the possibilities today! No matter who you are and what your goals may be, healthcare has an opportunity that's just right for you.

 

Advance your career. Change your life. - HospitalCareers


(Article / Content Updated 2018)