10 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Healthcare

Healthcare jobs have been a major source of employment to millions across the globe. What makes these healthcare jobs a mass drawer? Indeed, healthcare jobs have been around for ages, but the real clincher towards a career in healthcare is the recent increase in the demand for specialized healthcare providers. This resulted in a massive increase in job prospect and ensuing diversity.

Listed here are 10 common reasons why most healthcare providers pursue a career in healthcare:

1. 1. Job security and demand – Quite simply, people need healthcare.  Unlike other jobs, healthcare jobs are growing at one of the fastest rates. Even in tough economic times, the industry is expected to generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, and 10 of the 20 fastest-growing jobs are healthcare-related. Source: bls.gov
   2. Prestige and respect for the profession – While some lesser-in-demand careers have dropped in prestige over the years, doctors and nurses remain on the list of top 10 most prestigious careers (#4 and #6, respectively), commanding respect for their tolerance of job pressure, level of education and value to society as a whole.
   3. High potential for paid education – There are countless ways to get your education practically for free.  Private and government-funded grants and scholarships are available to offset your education costs. Many hospitals and health care industries will pay a certain percentage and even 100% of tuition for furthering education. Asking employers can go a long way.
   4. High earnings potential – You choose how much you want to earn. There are vocational, associate, bachelor and doctorate programs that can put you on the right path to a high-paying career. Pay can vary quite a bit depending on which profession you choose, but healthcare earnings overall are expected to rise as much as 22 percent through 2018.
   5. Opportunities for advancement – Most health careers have opportunities for advancement. You can take short courses for certifications that will make you more certified for higher positions, or you can be considered for a management role based on experience and performance.  Depending on your enthusiasm for growth, some employers are even willing to fund any further education should you want to advance.
   6. Day-to-day excitement – With most specialties involving patient interaction, your career in healthcare will never get old or boring. Even with careers not involving patients, the healthcare technology landscape is getting more and more exciting every day as new advancements are made and new laws are implemented which force technology into hospitals such as electronic health records (EHRs) and policy and procedure software.
   7. Job variety – Healthcare offers a broad range of specialties, ranging from pediatrics to forensic and from oncology to psychiatry. For those who enjoy patient interaction, an RN or pharmacist is a great choice. People who are more analytical can work in a clinical lab and still serve the healthcare community. If you are interested in healthcare, you will find something that interests you.
   8. Opportunity to travel and relocate – The skills and knowledge you learn in the healthcare field allow you work in an array of different settings such as schools, hospitals, labs, clinics, airplanes and even Disneyworld. You can work almost anywhere in the U.S. and the world.Some bodies such as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing are making it easier for nurses to transfer to states that participate in a multistate license compact. Programs such as Doctors without Borders provide doctors and nurses with overseas assignments for those who want to travel and help others.
   9. Constant learning – In the field of healthcare you will face constant challenges and problems that must be solved. Healthcare continues to be an art rather than an exact science, and for that reason you will learn something new on the job every day.
   10. Job satisfaction – When you get to see the how people look up to you and look to you for advice, and when a patient wholeheartedly trusts their life in your hands, you cannot escape from feeling satisfied that what you are doing is something beyond worthwhile.