Whether you’ve just begun working in healthcare or have been working the same job for years, it’s never too late to take a step back and evaluate your career path. Finding the right balance between your ideal lifestyle and the job position most likely to help you attain it is one of the best ways to ensure your career is taking you where you want to go. On the other hand, diving into a job without consideration for your personal needs is a recipe for frustration, boredom, or even burnout. By focusing on your long-term goals and prioritizing the most important things to you, any person–no matter where they are in their career–can find their way to their dream job.
Healthcare can be a highly demanding field. The key is to find a position that can work with your ideal schedule and lifestyle. Though it may sound sentimental, the path to your perfect career begins with a bit of soul-searching. You have to start by asking yourself what is most important to you and how your career can help you support it. Rather than putting your career before your personal life, you must find a balance between the two. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when looking into a new job position in the healthcare field.
Working in healthcare can either mean highly irregular hours or a standard nine to five. When deciding which career you want to pursue, thinking about what shifts you’re willing (or physically able) to work is wise. Will you be able to work night shifts? Consistent overtime? Or would you prefer a more predictable schedule with part-time hours? Many parents have found that the night shift allows them more flexibility with family life, working while their children are sleeping and sleeping while they’re in school. However, some people find that after a few months of sleeping during the day and working during the night, the disruption in their usual sleep cycle creates lasting tiredness and stress. No matter what, figuring out your ideal work schedule is the first step towards finding a great job.
Many healthcare positions come with a high degree of responsibility and a significant side-helping of stress. As rewarding as it can be to work as an ER technician, it’s also a fast-paced and high-stress environment. Many people can thrive in those circumstances; many more might find it overwhelming. You should keep your tolerance for stressful situations in mind, and plan your job position accordingly. And remember, stress can be physical as well as mental. Some jobs in healthcare may require you to be on your feet for hours at a time, lifting heavy loads, and other kinds of physical exertion. These job demands can eventually create health issues, so be sure to pursue a position that meets your physical limits.
Of course, the perks and drawbacks of a job can make a position sound more or less appealing, but the work itself remains one of the most important considerations. What kind of job would make you excited to face your day? What sort of day-to-day tasks do you enjoy, and what larger-scale work would feel meaningful? When you find a job that fulfills you on an emotional level as well as a practical one, you’re far more likely to succeed–and be happy while you do it.
Finding the best job position for your needs isn’t just about maximizing the benefits of your work–it’s also an essential part of preventing burnout. It’s a serious consideration in any field: studies have shown that Americans work 25 percent longer than people in European countries, and a recent survey showed that burnout is currently affecting over half of our workforce. Sadly, the healthcare field has experienced the brunt of work-related pandemic stress. In the past two years, the healthcare field has seen unprecedented levels of burnout and turnover due to pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 60 percent of healthcare workers say their mental health had worsened during the pandemic. As the pandemic has drastically increased the need for skilled healthcare workers, it has also created a burden of stress and high expectations for new workers and veterans alike.
Unfortunate as the current state of affairs may be, it is also a lens through which we can see the importance of understanding your desires when charting a career. These challenging times make it clear that ending up in a job that doesn’t meet your personal needs can devastate your long-term career. Finding the correct position can mean the difference between happy, meaningful employment and a job cut short by burnout.
The ideal job position lies at the intersection of personal values and your long-term career goals. But of course, it’s no easy task to dig into your values and apply them to a theoretical job. In the field of healthcare, we’re lucky enough to enjoy a wide selection of positions with equally variable schedules and expectations. It can be difficult to know how to take the first step to start (or shift) a career with so many options. Sometimes it can help to have a bit of guidance. In that regard, a staffing agency may be able to help.
With our decades of experience as a medical staffing agency, MyTeam Medical Staffing Services have constantly strived to help our candidates find a career that works for them. By helping you solidify your career aspirations, we’re able to match you with a job position best suited to your experience, qualifications, and needs. We’re always excited to help workers in the medical field to unlock their fullest career potential. If you’d like to hear more, contact us at 971-314-5170.