Healthcare Continues To Be Viable Career Option

May 17, 2010

Even as jobs are cut throughout the country, the demand for qualified healthcare workers continues to grow.

The Washington Post reports that healthcare is a particularly good sector for those who are looking into second careers. Some of the expanding jobs in the field include positions at insurance companies, government agencies and contractors, in wellness and elder care, and nursing and patient care.

"We are hiring clinicians, physicians, certified nursing assistants, medical codes, billers, all kinds of people," noted Michelle Lee, chief executive of STG International in Virginia, which provides medical and professional staff and services. Lee told the Post that many people who fill these jobs have no background in healthcare, but are interested in long-term employment that also provides the opportunity to help others.

She added that the new healthcare legislation is bound to bring more opportunity to job searchers. "Change brings opportunity," she was quoted as saying in the Post. "Get ready and jump in."

A new study from the University of California San Diego Extension confirms that healthcare careers continue to be a solid bet. The report includes healthcare information technology and geriatric healthcare as two of the top ten hot career trends for college graduates.

"Jobs and needs in the healthcare information technology field are a critical component of plans for positive change in the healthcare industry," wrote Mary Walshok, associate vice chancellor of public programs and dean of UC San Diego Extension, in the report.

In a related story, FOXBusiness.com reports that the Department of Labor predicts growth in healthcare, as well as manufacturing and green jobs, and that all three are excellent fields for new college graduates.

"These industries have continued to expand," notes FOXBusiness, "helped in no small part from national and state-level government grants."

Compiled by CityTownInfo.com Staff