If you want a career that’s rewarding and future-proof, your best choice is the healthcare sector. It offers a wide variety of roles, strong pay, and remarkable resistance to automation, outsourcing, and economic downturns.
Healthcare jobs are in high demand due to the aging American population and a growing culture of wellness. Students going into healthcare-related programs can expect strong career prospects upon graduation, and not just in their local region. The American healthcare education system is very well regarded on the world stage and provides impressive access to mobility and freedom of movement.
If you’re interested in living in another region or another country for an extended period, working overseas for a shorter period of time, or participating in international aid volunteerism around the world, an education and experience in healthcare can open up many doors for you. Enjoy the freedom to live by the beach; or explore new languages, tastes, and cultures; or make a difference where you’re most needed. Live, travel, and earn money while you’re at it.
While many American industries are in flux right now due to a combination of automation and outsourcing destabilizing traditional jobs, healthcare careers tend to resist both of these undermining factors. The healthcare sector still requires a personal touch and operates with a high degree of human expertise and patient care. Senior caregiving can’t be outsourced across an ocean. A medical clinic and a hospital will each continue to require local employees to staff numerous roles for the foreseeable future.
While repetitive or highly precise tasks show some opportunity for automation and mechanical support, such as AI-mediated diagnoses or robotic surgeries, healthcare is not susceptible to a self-serve culture the same way a supermarket is, and human beings are not consistent enough to be supported through mechanical tools without human intelligence and adaptability at the helm. The level of uniqueness and the necessary customization and adjustment is just too high.
For today’s students or professionals seeking to switch careers to something with a more promising future, medical sector jobs such as nursing are one of the most secure and lucrative options available. A nursing associate degree can be pursued online or at a campus, making it a flexible, accessible educational track. You might retrain while working at another job, or from a location without good local schools.
Demand for nurses is high in nearly all locations, making your prospects upon graduation enviable to say the least. Scarcity and rising demand are creating lots of opportunities, so you can be sure to find work wherever you choose to live, and that high level of demand also keeps wages enticingly high.
You also may have the opportunity to adjust your work conditions to better suit your needs. You might prefer shiftwork in a hospital, or more predictable hours in a clinic. You might enjoy working with children, or the elderly, or in an acute care environment, or in a community nursing position. There’s a lot of flexibility in schedule, location, and type of work, and you can find opportunities whether you choose to settle in one place for the long haul, or indulge your travel bug and see the world. It’s a great job for both small towns and big cities.
The opportunity to progress in seniority and levels of responsibility is also attractive to many. Depending on where you choose to work, you might operate independently, or as part of a large team. You can work your way up into a supervisory or management position over time, with commensurate experience and appropriate increases in salary.
For many, working in the healthcare sector is not just about the prospects, career security, and enviable compensation, but about doing work that makes a difference. If you’ve worked in other industries, you may have found yourself frustrated at the amount of time you put into something that doesn’t necessarily make the world a better place. Nursing and direct, hands-on healthcare jobs are great for people who enjoy connecting with others and feeling like they can make a difference. There are also positions in the extended healthcare sector for those who have stronger organizational or administrative skills and like to solve problems from a distance. You might want to look into medical coding or pharmaceuticals if you’re more of an introvert.
Whether you’re just starting to consider future career paths, or looking to make a change, you should consider the healthcare sector. Don’t waste your investment in education; put in the effort for a better future in a job that makes a difference for you and for others for the long term.
TYT Newsroom
