If you love taking care of people and are interested in the field of medicine, now is an excellent time to join the rapidly-growing healthcare industry. You’ll stay busy, constantly learn new skills and best practices, and make important positive impacts on the health and lives of patients and their families. Particularly during the pandemic, healthcare workers have largely become recognized as heroes. Your hard work will be appreciated not only by your supervisors, coworkers, and patients, but by your community as a whole.

Here are seven great reasons to enter a healthcare profession today:

    1. Effective COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments. Although the pandemic isn’t over, healthcare professionals now have more ways to protect themselves from severe forms of the coronavirus. These include effective vaccines, personal protective equipment (PPE), readily available test kits, and treatments. Although the most recent variants of the virus are more contagious than previous ones, they are also less likely to cause severe symptoms, hospitalization, or death for vaccinated individuals.

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    2. Job opportunities in high demand. There is currently a national shortage of healthcare workers, which means jobs in this field will be in high demand for the foreseeable future. This is due to increased medical care needs related both to the continuing pandemic and to an aging Baby Boomer population. Medical assistant jobs, for example, are one of the roles that healthcare employers are working hardest to hire applicants for today.

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    3. Roles tailored to your skills and personality. Job candidates who love helping people will find a variety of ways to do this in the healthcare industry. If you prefer or have experience in administrative work, you may want to become a medical assistant (MA), although you’ll also have some medical duties. If you prefer more hands-on care with patients, consider becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA).

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    4. Job security. Plenty of healthcare professionals will enjoy job security simply because their skills and capabilities are already in high demand. However, if you like the organization you’re working for, you also enhance your job security by communicating effectively with your employers, staying on top of your responsibilities, acquiring and using additional training or certifications, growing your skillset, and having a positive, problem-solving attitude.

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    5. Flexible schedules and work/life balance. Schedules vary across medical professions, and many allow employees to work longer shifts for fewer days per week. This allows for additional days off and a good work/life balance. For example, a CNA can work 8 or 12 hours per day, depending on workplace needs and the CNA’s preference. An MA can work full- or part-time with morning, afternoon, or evening shifts.

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    6. No stuffy, uncomfortable office clothing. Many healthcare professionals wear scrubs (two-piece medical uniforms) and approved athletic shoes to work. These come in a variety of colors and prints with a range of features, such as pocket types, fits, styles, and flexibility levels. Instead of struggling to assemble an outfit each day, you can simply grab a clean pair of scrubs each day and get moving. Sturdy, supportive, work-appropriate athletic shoes will keep your feet comfortable all day.

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    7. You don’t necessarily need years of medical school education. Many healthcare jobs don’t require years of school or a medical degree, which means there are plenty of roles that will allow you to enter the industry quickly. Some positions, such as certified nursing assistant jobs, require a certification, but this takes far less time to earn than a degree. You can also acquire other certifications after starting one of these positions that may help to advance your career.

     
    Career centers can provide training programs to help you enter the healthcare field. To get started, search for a career center near you. If you live near Silicon Valley in northern California, you can visit one of JobTrain’s four affiliated centers.

    JobTrain is an accredited educational and training institution that transforms lives and communities in Silicon Valley. We help the Valley’s most in need reclaim their lives from poverty and unemployment by preparing them for successful, sustainable careers in high-demand and emerging fields. Check out our Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Assistant programs to get started on the path to a high-quality job in the field of healthcare.

     

    Each of JobTrain’s programs combines vocational training, academics, and essential skills development, preparing students to turn their lives around—from unemployment and poverty to success and self-sufficiency. Contact us today to learn more!