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Health Care Cluster

The healthcare field offers a number of challenging and interesting employment options. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects health care jobs will grow by 30 percent by 2014. Ten of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in the labor market are related to health care. It is predicted that health care will generate 3.2 million new paying jobs between 2008 and 2018—more than any other industry. And beyond the advantage of job growth and availability, workers in the health care field get to touch lives while earning a competitive wage.

Jobs in health care can be very demanding and hectic. All require either advanced education or training beyond high school that is also demanding and fast paced. For example, to be a doctor, you must have at least four years of training in medicine beyond the first 4 years of college. If you would like to specialize in a specific area, you must pursue extra training beyond your medical degree. To be a nurse, your education and training varies depending on the type of nursing you would like to do or the amount of responsibility you are willing to take on. Nursing careers can be obtained with one year of training to be a licensed practical nurse, two to four years to be a registered nurse, or even more training to be a nurse practitioner or anesthetist.

It is true that some days in these occupations can seem like a drama straight out of primetime TV. On the other hand, if you are not into close, one-on-one contact with the sick or injured or would appreciate a more relaxed lifestyle, you can still be a valuable asset to the medical community by becoming a medical transcriptionist, nutritionist, dietician, patient advocate, ward clerk, health care interpreter, or other such occupation that supports doctors, nurses, and other medical staff.

As with any career, each opportunity has some appeal, but it is important to make sure that your skills, values, interests, educational path, and work personality align with your career choice. This section of AFB CareerConnect will walk you through the many facets of a career in this field. An especially helpful exercise would be to contact CareerConnect mentors who work in healthcare to see if you've got what it takes!

Skills Overview

  • Active learner
  • Active listener
  • Critical thinker
  • Excellent problem solver
  • Persuasive
  • Service oriented
  • Has sound judgment and decision-making skills

Keep in mind that whatever career you choose, you can still gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace by learning about and responding to your personal work values. Find yours by going to the Job Seeker's Toolkit.




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