How to Find a Healthcare Job without any Past Experience
It is hard to argue with the numbers. According to the BLS, employment growth averaged 26,000 new jobs a month in the healthcare field in 2014.
It is one of the most recession- resistant industries around. Therefore, as other industries shrink and divest themselves of their workforce, many of those workers look to move into new medical jobs.
However, there are two more stats that are hard to ignore.
Approximately 36% of newly licensed RNs were still not working as registered nurses 4 months after graduation. In some areas, those rates are even more abysmal. In California, about 43% of newly licensed RNs still did not have jobs 18 months after graduation. Many facilities / offices prefer to recruit people who already have healthcare experience, especially for more senior roles.
On the surface this does not look good for job seekers looking to transition. However, the good news is that, even though many facilities might “prefer” job seekers with experience, many do hire those with no experience. The key is to position yourself correctly, and here are a few tips to help you do just that.
- Research. Staying on top of industry news and trends, including companies and key players, is very important when trying to transition into a new industry. This will help you find out who is hiring and then speak intelligently during an interview or a networking event.
- Network. You will need to connect with as many people in the healthcare industry as possible. Remember, it is not what you know, it is who you know. But this does not simply mean connecting over social media. You must combine face-to-face networking and online networking to succeed.
- Assess your transferable skills. Your transferable skills are what will allow you to make the move into the healthcare field. Think about what skills you have that could also be applicable to a support role in healthcare. Could you work as a filing clerk or a medical receptionist? Once you are situated in a medical office / facility, you can prove your abilities and work ethic and get on-the-job training.
- Write a great resume. Write your resume to highlight your transferable skills. Also, leverage the research to write your resume toward what the employer would be looking for.
- Find a mentor. Working with a well-connected mentor can help tremendously. The best way to find a mentor is to start working or volunteering in a support role. You may even locate a great mentor through your networking activities.
- Be realistic. You may have years of experience in another industry, but if you have none in healthcare, you may have to take a step down in pay, or career level. Once you get established, you should be able to catch back up.
Another great way to break into the medical field is to work with a reputable staffing firm, such as Snelling. We can help you boost your job search efforts, including networking and navigating all aspects of the medical. So locate your nearest Snelling Medical office today!
