You’ve probably heard the saying: “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”.
Sounds good, right? But not so fast. Landing a healthcare job that really interests you – that you’ll be spending at least eight hours a day doing – isn’t as easy as all that.
In fact, as a seasoned professional or someone just breaking into the healthcare field, job searching can be hard work, with a lot of competition for the best assignments. For the sake of your career, it’s important to find the right job that interests you, is challenging, allows for growth, and dare we say it, might even be fun!
So here are five ideas to help job seekers find that dream position – one you’ll love (or at least like a lot!).
1. Figure Out the Skills Needed for your Dream Job
The first step to finding a job you’ll love is knowing what your ultimate dream job is. What specific things do you want to be doing? What skills do you need to be successful? Think about your core values and how they relate to your dream occupation. Once you have an idea of what you want, contact a career coach, recruiter or staffing agency who can help focus your search for jobs that are a match for your skills, experience, and interests.
2. Look Before You Leap
Do you typically see a job title that looks promising and immediately wants to take the job? Before you jump in feet first – curb your enthusiasm and thoroughly read the job description before accepting the role. Knowing as much as possible about the proposed position will help you avoid making the wrong decision.
3. Tap your Network
Whether you’re just out of college or a ten-year hospital veteran, having a professional network is a must. And now’s the time to use it. Remember that your network goes far beyond your LinkedIn connections (though certainly use them). Talk to friends and family members, former coworkers, college instructors, etc. If you’re a college graduate, ask your career office if they have an alumni network you can connect with.
4. Check Out the Company Culture
The job may sound awesome, but do you really want to work there? Try to get a feel for the organization by checking out their website. And if you land an interview, make sure you take a good, hard look around. You might learn something about the company culture that can greatly affect your final decision.
5. Make Sure the Job’s a Good Fit
In addition to making sure you’re aligned with the corporate culture, carefully evaluate the job offer. Do you truly want this job? Can you see yourself doing it in five years? Is the salary what you expected? If not, is negotiating a higher salary possible? How about the work schedule, the hours, and the travel, if required? If there’s anything about the job or compensation that’s making you think twice, this may not be your dream job.
At Focus Staff, we understand the ins and outs of traveling healthcare professionals during these challenging times and have access to a wide variety of excellent professional opportunities. To learn more, contact us today.
