If you’ve been feeling like your current job isn’t right for you, don’t worry – you’re not alone; on an average, some people will switch careers and jump ships between five and seven times during their lifetime. Maybe you feel like you’re stuck and there’s no room for promotion and growth, the hours are ridiculous and don’t work for you, or you don’t feel challenged or motivated anymore. Whatever the reason, this could be the perfect time to move into the healthcare industry, for instance; with huge role variety and massive opportunities for further education, it’s one of the most popular vocations. If you’re still not sure, then read on – we’ve got five good reasons that are sure to convince you that healthcare could be the field just for you!
Undeniable Positive Impact
One of the things people look for most in a prospective role is the potential for job satisfaction and making a profound difference. So what better way to have a positive impact on peoples lives than to help them when they’re at their most vulnerable?
Admittedly, it can be stressful if you’re working in an area where it’s a life-or-death situation, such as emergency medicine, but this is far outweighed by the benefits. Easing a patients suffering and following them on their journey to recovery and health will give you massive job satisfaction and a sense that what you do for a living really matters.
Great Role Variety
The healthcare industry is one of the biggest and most varied of all; you could find yourself working with patients of all ages, from newborn babies to the elderly, and in lots of different settings.
Healthcare professionals don’t just work in hospitals; they can also be found in schools and universities, nursing homes, hospices, doctors offices, laboratories, and even insurance companies.
If you feel like working on the medical front line is not quite your thing, you can find jobs as speech-language pathologists, helping people with communication difficulties due to conditions such as Autism, or as occupational therapists, assisting people who need to find new ways to cope with day-to-day life.
You Can Easily Find Positions For All Skill Levels
If you have absolutely no experience in healthcare, don’t worry – there are roles designed for people of all educational and skill levels.
While lots of positions need you to have specialized Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s qualifications, several only require you to have associate degrees or even less. Nursing assistants, caregivers, and medical secretaries are just a few of the jobs that don’t need you to have years of medical school behind you. There’s also the opportunity to return to study to help you get your ideal role; the healthcare industry is one of the best for additional and further education, and this can often be completed through work.
The Working Hours Are Flexible
If you’re a working parent, you’ll know the struggle of trying to organize your children’s lives around a nine-to-five job; juggling school runs, after-school activities and playdates can feel like a massive feat and can be one of the main sources of stress. The healthcare industry is one of the best for flexible hours! As a nurse or nursing assistant, you’ll work shift work – which means you’ll usually find you work longer hours in a shorter period of time, leaving you with less of a need for extra childcare.
Flexibility is also one of the key nurse practitioner benefits; they’re in such high demand that they get to choose their setting and the hours they work – so if you need to schedule your work around the school drop-offs, you can, but if you prefer the nine-to-five, you can opt for more traditional hours.
You Can Work All Over The World
Who wouldn’t want to work in an industry where not only is there room for promotion, the opportunity to work flexible hours and educational improvement, but also the possibility of global travel? Working in healthcare can take you all over the world; from roles in caring throughout the USA and traditional nursing in other countries to working in humanitarian aid in less-developed places.
Joining a charity or NGO and getting stuck in as a field worker will take you to places you probably never thought you’d visit. While it can be incredibly stressful and dangerous, it’s also one of the most rewarding positions in healthcare. It can be done as a one-off aid relief effort after a natural or man-made disaster, or as part of a long-term project into disease control and infection management.
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