What It’s Like to Work in the Health Care Industry
April 19, 2011
If you have dedication, patience, compassion and a desire to help people, you’re a great candidate for health care work. What is your passion? No matter what drives you, there is a role for you in the health care industry. Within each medical specialty, jobs are available for any level of education or experience. If you’re considering a career in health care, there’s good news: even in our current economic condition, health care workers are in high demand across the country. There’s an urgent need for health practitioners in medically under-served areas, which often are in rural communities or inner-city neighborhoods; and the demand is only expected to increase because of the rapid growth in the elderly population. Additionally, health care offers a wide range of jobs in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
Each health career requires different skill sets and personality traits. Most roles require excellent interpersonal and communication skills, some level of technical or mathematic capacity, and a strong work ethic. Additionally, most medical jobs require a great deal of responsibility and maturity. Your patient’s well- being, and even their lives could depend on the quality of your work. If you are a person who loves to learn new things, that will also help you succeed as a health care professional, because the medical field changes constantly with the development of new technology, advanced procedures and treatments, and even new diseases.
Here are some reasons to consider a career in health care: it is a secure career path, the starting salaries are generally good, with flexible work schedules, excellent benefits and enjoyable working conditions. A medical career is extremely rewarding; however, you may experience high levels of stress, and the field requires a great deal of commitment, endurance and hard work.
How to get ready:
A high school diploma or a general education degree (or the equivalent) is often necessary. Training and education programs are available to get you started, help improve your skills and advance your career.
Job opportunities:
You might work in an HMO, community health center, mobile clinic, long-term care facility, private practice office, or a patient’s home. You might also be part of a small staff or a huge organization, working at the national, regional, state or local level in a corporate, non-profit or government office. The possibilities in this field are almost endless.
What can you expect to earn?
Average salary – $9.85 to $23.99 per hour
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