7 Ways To Advance Your Career In Healthcare

A career in healthcare can be a rewarding and valuable job that can help you help others in various ways. With the varied roles within the healthcare sector for you to choose from, there is a degree of flexibility with how you control your career and how you advance. 

Regardless of your current job role, these tips on developing your career within healthcare can help give you that boost you need and set up a forward career trajectory that enables you to get what you want from your job and career.

Make A Plan

In the first instance, take control of your career by making a plan for what you want to do and how you need to get there. As mentioned, there are a plethora of job roles within healthcare, and you need to understand which direction you want your career to take. You can change this over time; however, making a plan is imperative as it will give you the confidence and empowerment to steer your career in the right direction.

For example, if you're a nurse, you might decide you want to move into management, meaning you need to brush up on your managerial skills and potentially gain qualifications. Or you might decide you want to niche down and work in a specific sector, such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, or ICU. Knowing where you want to go and how you need to get there will direct you to the best possible outcome.

Set A Timeline

It doesn't need to be instant or even in the next 12 months, but you need to have a timeline in place so you have goals or aims to keep you on track. Maybe you want to spend 3 years doing what you do now to allow you the time to retain and then make a move, or you simply want to get there faster, meaning you would prefer to fast-track changes to facilitate increased satisfaction. It's up to you how long your timeline is, but you should set realistic goals you can work towards.

Gain Experience

If you haven't already, focus on gaining as much experience as possible in your current role before you consider progressing your career and making changes to what you do. Whether you plan to stay in your current sector or not, the more experience you have, the more reassured you can be about your career progression. 

If possible, you can look at volunteering or taking up shifts in the area you wish to progress to, which will help you boost your knowledge and understanding and gain more experience and skills ready for you to make the change.

Brush Up On Skills

Improving your skills, taking on new information, and learning as much as possible are crucial in helping you keep moving forward and developing your career. Whether you take a BSL test to help you gain basic life support skills to start your training to move from a more administrative position to a more caregiving role, you want to gain qualifications to help you move from a care support role to a nursing role or even switch medical specialties; you need to be moving forward in making sure you have the applicable skills knowledge and qualifications to help you get to where you want to be.

Specialise

To really hone in on your skills and passions and move forward in your healthcare career, you need to look into specializing. Specializing in healthcare refers to focusing your skills and knowledge on a specific area or field within the broader healthcare sector. This could be a specific medical specialty, a particular patient group, or a specialized area of healthcare management. The more specific your skill set, the better care you will be able to provide to your patients and the more career opportunities you can open for yourself. 

The more specific your skill set, the better care you will be able to provide to your patients and the more career opportunities you can open for yourself.

Let's say you're a physical therapist. Instead of working with a wide section of the public, you can choose to specialize in a specific area, such as neurology, pediatrics, geriatric care, or sports therapy. The more specialized your care is, the more value you can offer to patients and the company you work for, and the better your career prospects can be, as well as your earning potential. This specialization can inspire and motivate you to excel in your chosen field.

Look For Managerial Roles

Moving up to more senior or managerial roles can allow you to build more skills without having to change your career trajectory, simply move up the ranks. You will need to demonstrate good leadership abilities and be adept at planning care and routines, working with others, and providing direction. Building your experience, gaining more qualifications, and proving that you are invaluable to your employer means that you can work towards climbing up the ranks and improving your career prospects. Take some time to identify the leadership roles available in your workplace, then what you need to back up a promotion role and work towards that coveted position.

Consider Travel Work

Travel work positions, both domestic and international, can allow you the chance to explore your career and yourself and gain a wealth of experience you might not have gained otherwise. In healthcare, travel work can offer the opportunity to work in different healthcare systems, learn about different cultural approaches to healthcare, and gain diverse clinical experience. You can benefit your career by working with a greater range of people, you can learn more about the world around you and you can enjoy a less stressful and more relaxed way of life.

Travel job opportunities can enhance your career and your life and give you a new outlook and appreciation for the world around you. By exposing yourself in this way, you can support career advancement as you will gain valuable skills and experience in the field that you can use when or if you decide to put down roots.