Medical Industry Profile

The government may be reporting double-digit unemployment numbers lately, but job seekers looking for a cure to the recession woes are finding plenty of openings in healthcare. In fact, the field is thriving according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, claiming seven of the 20 fastest growing occupations and a higher projected job increase than any other sector.

While job security is certainly a strong draw right now, healthcare workers in non-supervisory roles also enjoy earnings that are higher than average for all private industry. Add the satisfaction of knowing your job makes an important difference in the lives of others and you’ve got a prescription for a highly rewarding career.

Along with hands-on patient care jobs like nursing and physical therapy, healthcare employs a small army of people in support roles - lab techs, dieticians, medical transcriptionists, pharmacists, social workers, billing clerks and educators to name just a few - so this diverse field easily accommodates a wide range of interests and skills.

Some positions require as little as a few months of training in a certification program, while others can take years of post-graduate study, but wherever you start, opportunities for advancement are widely promoted.    

Flexible scheduling is another benefit, whether you’re balancing family needs or personal interests. Hospitals and nursing homes, for instance, staff their facilities around the clock and most offer part-time, full-time, weekends-only or PRN shifts.        

Rapid technological advances guarantee a stimulating environment that’s always changing. In fact, many people entering the field today will one day work in specialty areas with equipment or techniques that don’t yet exist; others will move into subspecialties they develop an interest in. There’s no dead end in healthcare, and continually updated skills are a must. 

The desire to keep learning is one of the keys to success in the field, and it helps to have an aptitude for math and science. Good communication and interpersonal skills are also important. And there’s no substitute for a genuine passion for helping people, whether you’re tending a sick child, taking an X-Ray or performing a laboratory test. 

If you’re interested in a career that grows with you, offers outstanding job security and allows you to touch people’s lives in crucial ways, then a healthcare job may be just what the doctor ordered.  

For a listing of current healthcare openings, along with information on the region’s top employers, be sure and check CareerConnection in the paper or online at www.CareerConnection.com.