Can't Decide on a Health Career?

If you are considering a health career, we can help you decide on the right program.

 

Are health care jobs recession-proof?

Employment in health care is not recession-proof. Finding a job in health care can be difficult because:

• Schools are graduating more students than local needs.
• People are not retiring as planned.
• Previously unemployed health care professionals are returning to work to make ends meet.

However, there is an upswing in the economy. More baby boomers are retiring in the next few years. Health care jobs are likely to open up.

 

How can I improve my chances of finding employment in the heath care field?

There are ways to improve your chances of finding employment. You must be:

• Willing to relocate
• Flexible
• Willing to accept flex and part-time positions to get your foot in the door

 

Are background checks required?

You must complete multiple background checks to be accepted into the clinical component of the program. Upon acceptance to clinicals you must provide the following:

• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
• FBI Check
• State Police Criminal Record Check
• Random drug/alcohol screening  

HACC will not admit you to the clinical portion of the program with a disqualifying criminal history or child abuse history.

 

I can't decide upon a specific health career. What should I do?

• Download Questions to ask yourself - How to decide (pdf).
• View HACC's health career programs. Review admission criteria (to apply for clinicals). Review essential qualifications for those programs.
• Attend our program information sessions.
• Use the careeronestop website -  https://www.careeronestop.org . You will find:
  • Over 450 career videos
  • Fastest-growing occupations
  • Highest-paying occupations
  • Occupations with most openings
  • Wages and trends (also available on www.salary.com)
  • Education and training

• Visit these these websites:
  • UPMC PinnacleHealth offers a Student Career Exploration Program that includes Destination Imaging, Extreme Nurse, Experience the Lab, a Health Care Career Night (usually April/October), summer internships and shadowing. All are excellent career investigation tools.
  • www.ExploreHEALTHCareers.org —Overview of careers, salaries, advice, search engines, articles and links
• Find links to professional organizations. Most have a "career" section on their websites to inform students about their professions.
• Find out the difference between options in nursing (pdf).
• Visit www.PA-EMS.org to learn more about different emergency medicine professions.
• Shadow a professional in your career area.
• Take the HACC human development course on Career Development and Decision Making (HD101). HACC often offers a section for students interested in a health careers/allied health majors.
• Volunteer in a hospital.
   

I am thinking about a career in radiologic technology. What should I do?

Learn more about a career in radiologic technology.

 

What if I can't decide on a major in the health care program?

Choose your most preferred health career program to list as your major. Explain your situation to your health career advisor. Your advisor is usually the program director. They will help you schedule classes that provide the best learning path for you. When you decide on a major, make sure it is listed correctly in MyHACC.