If you are thinking of following a career in healthcare, then you are not alone. Many people opt to take this route for the many advantages it offers. Although the salary and job security are attractive, for most healthcare professionals that is not the main driver. The burning passion many have for working in the medical field is to help people and give aid to those in need. If you have this kind of compassion and empathy for people, then healthcare could be the career for you.
What is also great about the medical field is that the choice of jobs to train for and work in is wide. From family doctors to physicians, porters and administrative staff, there are many roles needed to make the whole industry work. With 1 in 8 Americans working in the healthcare sector according to the US Bureau of Labor, it is certainly a popular career to follow.
But what are the essential skills you will need to become involved in healthcare?
Essential skills for a career in healthcare
- Qualifications – earning the degree that you need to work in your chosen field is often the first step; an administrative assistant degree is something that many admin roles would call for. Having the right kind of qualification will give you the opportunity to apply for roles because you will be seen as a creditable candidate by potential employers. Naturally this cuts across the whole medical sector and becomes even more important when moving into patient care in doctor or nurse roles. Research the qualifications your chosen healthcare role needs and then find a college to help you attain them.
- People skills – whether you gain an admin assistant degree to work in medical billing or train to be a radiologist, you will need to have superb people skills. Being able to connect with the patients you see or the people you deal with is key to enjoying a successful career. It will also help you to deal with people compassionately when they are often at their lowest ebb and maybe a little short-tempered. Possessing great people skills is a must for working in this industry as it is so person centered.
- Team-work – another thing that you must be good at to work in healthcare is interacting with your colleagues. All medical institutions rely on solid team work to function and you must be able to work as part of a bigger picture to allow this to happen. Make sure that you always help colleagues out where you can and try to treat them in a warm, friendly manner. This will enable you to build up the connections between you all to work as one happy team.
- Organization – there is no doubt that whatever role you move into within medicine, it will be busy. With patients coming in, going out and emergencies, there will always be lots happening to keep up with. As noted before, this is as true in the admin roles as it is in the front-line patient care jobs. To work effectively therefore you need to be an organized person who can create systems to keep tabs on what is happening in the role.
- Ability to work under pressure – as well as being organized, you must be able to work under pressure. As noted above, all roles in healthcare are busy but also bring their own particular pressures. The ability to perform your job competently while handling this pressure is vital. It will help you to succeed within the medical field while not getting too stressed by it all!
Working in the medical profession is rewarding
If you are already thinking of moving into healthcare, then you will know the potential rewards it can bring. Being able to help people and support them when they are ill or recovering from illness is a great feeling. Of course, there will be challenges along the way but the positive boost to your self-esteem that helping others brings is worth it. As the above shows, there are some key factors to think about first to make it a bit easier to move into this industry. By making sure you have the required qualifications and skills, then you will be doing all you can to start a long, happy career in this wonderful sector.
