The healthcare field is one of the most recession-resistant industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment projections for the next 7 years, healthcare is an industry seeing one of the fastest job growths by 2020. It’s not a surprise that with most of the population living longer than ever, there is a paralleled increase in the need for healthcare. In response, many job seekers are increasingly interested in finding a job within the healthcare industry.

If you’re interested in transitioning to a career in healthcare, or if you’re exploring whether this transition is a good fit for you, read below for several suggestions to help in your career transition plans.

Step 1: Determining whether a healthcare profession is a good fit for you.

Successfully transitioning into a new career involves some self-reflection. You don’t want to only go after jobs with high growth yet low job satisfaction and fit.  Ask yourself:

• What is my primary motivation to pursue a healthcare profession?
  • Knowing your primary motivation at the very start can help you stay on track when you’re in the midst of obtaining your healthcare career.
• What kind of job environment do I excel in?
• What are my interests and how do they align with my skill-sets?
• How will a healthcare career impact my family and long term goals?
  • Some healthcare positions involve long schooling and work hours, so figure out if this is possible for you.

Having a good sense of the kind of work environment you excel in, your strongest skill-sets, and your primary motivations in a career can help you decide the right healthcare position for you.

Step 2: Researching different healthcare professions for best fit.

Be strategic. Look for “transferable skills” when trying to find the appropriate healthcare profession. Ask yourself, what are skills I currently have that can easily transfer to the healthcare field? Even in the healthcare industry, there’s a need for accountants, administrative assistants, and IT to name a few. For example, if you have experience in IT, you might do well in a medical IT role.

Also, consider how much time you’re willing to dedicate before entering this field. Some occupations require 3 months of training, whereas others require years of schooling.

Below are 3 popular positions to consider. Visit their occupation profiles to learn more about what the position entails.

• Registered Nurses
• Medical Assistants
• Physical Therapists

Step 3: Research and Network within the Medical Industry.

The best way to break into the healthcare industry is to be on top of industry news and be a part of the network of medical professionals. With always changing healthcare laws and medical advances, it’s good to keep up with the buzz in order to figure out who is hiring and who can help recommend you for a position.

Networking also helps you to find out more about your new career interest. Speak to those who currently work in the profession and learn what the job is really like day-to-day. A good source to find contacts is through LinkedIn. Ask for an informational interview and use these sessions to better understand your fit for the profession. Maybe these connections might be the referral you need to your next healthcare profession.

As Baby Boomers age, so does the demand for services to help. CTPost.com has a nice piece featuring job opportunities in healthcare, with a focus on global healthcare consulting firm Best Doctors Inc., a Boston-based firm that provides individuals with private access to independent medical consultations.

BestDoctors has six non-medical positions open in Boston now, ranging from a Director of PR and a Spanish speaking International Medical Coordinator to project management.

Check ‘em out.

New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center currently lists over 900 positions with an Indeed.com salary estimate of $80K and above. You don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse, jobs include back office IT, program managers and statisticians. You can see the job listings here.

Interested in applying? Take a look at employee reviews and interviewing tips for Mount Sinai posted at Glassdoor.com.

Computer Task Group has announced a planned expansion of 100 jobs due to a strong demand for services from the healthcare industry. They’d like to finish up their hiring efforts by June, so apply now for full consideration.

You can find information on current openings here.

Not interested in watching the moon rise over Buffalo, but interested in an opportunity in IT? Study up on the healthcare sector. Federal guidelines call for healthcare systems throughout the U.S. to convert to electronic medical record (EMR) systems by 2014 so there’s a huge amount of work to be done—many hiring and training opportunities exist for EMR system conversions nationwide.

According to a recent recruiters survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, this year’s crop of newly minted MBAs are receiving more inquiries from employers than 2009 or 2010 grads.

In a poll of over 2000 companies, including 34% of the Fortune 500—fifty-five percent of survey respondents said they planned to hire MBAs. Among the findings:

“The strongest hiring this year is expected in consulting and health care, with 80 percent of health care and pharmaceutical companies and 73 percent of consulting firms planning to hire MBA graduates according to GMAC’s survey.

Additionally, graduating MBAs will see a large number of opportunities in marketing and sales. Almost half of all the companies surveyed planned to hire in these areas followed by financial areas other than investment banking.”

Not an MBA? Looking at MBA hiring trends may help anyway—since demand in industry sectors often translates across experience levels.

Source: NY Metro