Across the country, employment in the healthcare industry has been steadily on the rise over the past decade. Whether you’re still in the process of choosing your degree program, or already in the job hunt with a few skills under your belt, you’re probably aware that working in healthcare offers many attractive benefits. Here are the top four reasons why you should put this career area on your shortlist.
Growing job opportunities
You can look anywhere for numbers that highlight the growth of our healthcare sector. But sheer logic alone should suffice: our life expectancy has continued to rise. More people are living longer, needing more care, and creating a constant demand for healthcare services.
It’s not all so straightforward, of course. The industry is constantly changing with new technologies and advancements. Competition can be tough, and the best jobs will go to the most skilled candidates. Major industry players can use recruiting software to scout talent. Get an extra advantage with the help of a healthcare staffing agency so you can land a position that perfectly matches your skills and goals.
Higher pay
Wherever you live – or plan to work – in the United States, you’ve probably done your homework and run an online comparison of median wages, along with the usual stuff, such as the cost of living and housing prices. Notice one thing – how well did healthcare workers rank in terms of average wage?
Nationwide health spending has been on the rise – by around twice the rate of average worker wages for the past decade. That spending is a big factor in why healthcare workers are generally afforded better salaries. And while the difference may not be pronounced at the entry-level or nonprofessional posts, as you obtain your professional license and further distinctions, your wages will only go higher.
Varied career opportunities
Does the prospect of professional growth motivate you? Healthcare is not only a broad industry, but it’s also one that overlaps with, and cross-pollinates, multiple fields and disciplines. You can tread the traditional path of an intern to physician or nurse to hospital administrator. But learning other skills such as software development can help you develop custom applications for managing patient health information and security, for example. You can volunteer with international organizations and travel abroad. More so than in many industries, healthcare offers many doors to pursue the path you truly desire.
A high level of challenge and meaning
If you dread the routine of the 9-to-5 desk job, that diversity of opportunities in healthcare will suit you well. In the traditional setting of a hospital, all staff members and providers have to be highly trained, alert and face a different challenge each day. At private practices, you’ll have a chance to contribute and innovate with your unique skillset.
Beyond that, however, the work you do is meaningful. Few industries offer the value of each employee knowing that no matter what role they play, the effort they put into each day of work is making a difference in people’s lives and quality of living and that they are truly a part of something greater which is improving the human condition.
As you build up your resume and diversify your skills, think about what the healthcare industry offers you, and how you can apply yourself in return to help serve others.
