Hot Careers Right Now: How To Score A Job In Health Care

Health care and tech jobs dominate U.S. News & World Report’s annual best jobs of 2014 list. If you have your sights set on becoming a pharmacist, dentist, software developer or computer systems analyst in the health care field, these jobs are in “explosive demand.” But, just because they’re in high demand doesn’t mean there won’t be any competition. Get a leg up on the competition and land your dream job in the year ahead with these tips.

Make Your Resume Interview Ready

Mashable suggests four things you’ll want to leave off your resume:

• Objective – Employers know you want the job, you’re applying after all.
• Unrelated interests, hobbies or skills – Your employer can get to know you personally once you’re hired.
• Tasks – Tell potential employers what you accomplished instead.
• Unnecessary formatting – Keep it simple.

Resume tips to follow for health care IT/tech jobs:

• If you’re applying for a software or design position in health care, choose a creative option that showcases your talent merely by your resume style. Resources like Visualize.me allow job applicants to feature their most relevant talents in a compelling, visual manner.

Resume tips to follow for health care practitioners or research positions:

• A CV might be your best option. If your experience includes research, writing and private clinical practice, a curriculum vitae is usually the most organized format to feature your work history appropriately. This is especially helpful if you’re pre-med, have a ton of experience, but have not broken out into the professional workforce yet.

No matter what resume format you choose, try to reflect the position’s job description. If you’re passionate about helping those who suffer from back pain, look at surgery centers’ job postings. Health care companies like Laser Spine Institute, for example, post job openings online on their Indeed pages. Look at all the different postings—maybe a medical assistant or a surgical technologist position—that appeal to you, and write down reoccurring words and phrases. Make sure everything on your resume reflects who they’re hoping to gain on their team, but don’t stretch the truth.

After applying, you should research their website and learn more about the company to help you prepare, should you land an interview.

Enlist a Mentor

Your mentor took you on, so they want to support your continued career success. When it comes to providing references, choose ones that can genuinely speak on your behalf. It’s a competitive field, and there’s no reason not to take advantage of their support. Don’t have one yet? Consult Find A Mentor, they can help match you with someone at your university or a professional in the community.

Back to School, but Not for Long

If you don’t have a four-year or advanced degree, you can still land a health care job. Consider medical coding, for example, a career that earns $34K per year on average. Another bit of good news, according to the U.S. Labor Statistics Bureau, is the field will continue growing. Most community colleges and some online colleges offer courses for medical coding certification that are often quite flexible.

By Jennifer Lee

health care professional, volunteer, reality TV show junkie