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Friday, April 14, 2006
Re-entering the health care job market?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For a variety of reasons, people leave health care careers for other job opportunities or family responsibilities and then consider a return at another point in life.
The health care industry is rapidly changing and dynamic and re-entry can be very intimidating if you have been in another field for a while.
On the surface, it may seem that everything has changed.
The acronyms, abbreviations, regulations and particularly some of the technologies can be foreign for someone after just a couple of years away.
Updating a resume for the return or just scanning the job ads can be stressful and will stump even the most creative writer.
Here are some strategies to help you jump right back in:
- Talk with previous colleagues still in the field to get advice and determine their perspective.
- Do some research and networking to see what has really changed and where the jobs are now.
- Job fairs in health care have become very common, with several occurring in the Atlanta metro area on a regular basis.
- Talking with representatives from health care systems can give you ideas and reacquaint you with the jargon of the field.
- Most health systems have recruiters who will talk with prospective applicants on an informal basis about their needs and job requirements.
- Changing health care industry might be the right solution because new jobs and fields are constantly being created and the skill sets in health care jobs are often very transferable and might now need new educational credential.
- If you are re-entering one of the clinical areas involving direct patient-care, taking courses to update your skills is often an option and a necessity.
Nursing, as one of the most rapidly evolving health care careers, has developed re-entry programs to update, educate and guide nurses returning to the job market.
In the Atlanta Metropolitan area, several re-entry programs are available, consisting of classroom or online information/education, direct work with new technologies and clinical experiences - guided and supervised by another nurse in a hospital or clinic for a specified number of hours.
Shortages in other clinical health care careers will probably result in similar re-entry opportunities in these careers as well.
If you have re-entered the health care field or if you are considering a return, what strategies work? How would you advise others considering the same career move?
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