Is a Healthcare Career Right for Me?

Are you considering a healthcare career? With World Health Day fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than to take an industry dive into the wonderful world of Healthcare careers.

Labelled as Australia’s top employing industry in 2020, Healthcare is a fast-growing industry that encompasses a broad range of skill sets and experience levels. From highly specialised roles like nursing all the way to entry-level jobs you can enter as soon as you leave school, there are many Healthcare career choices to choose from.

Whether you already have your heart set on a specific healthcare profession, or you simply want to find out what different career options exist in the medical field, we’ve got you covered!

Read on to discover everything you need to know about a career in healthcare.

So, What is a Healthcare Career?

As an overview, healthcare involves the improvement of a patient or client’s health, which can take many forms. Midwives, Nurses, Optometrists, and Aged Carers all fit under the healthcare umbrella – just to name a few.

Health care cover the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of an illness, injury or disease. In a nutshell, if a job involves care to improve someone’s health, it will probably land in the healthcare sector!

What Healthcare Careers are in High Demand?

Looking for a job that’s in high demand? Then you’re in luck, because individuals working in in the medical field are highly sought after.

In fact, according to a National Skills Commission analysis, the Health Care and Social Assistance industry has seen employment more than double over the past 20 years.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into Australia’s largest employing healthcare jobs:

Registered Nurses
Aged and Disabled Carers
Receptionists
Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers
Child Carers
General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers
Welfare Support Workers
General Clerks

What Healthcare Career is Right for Me?

The Healthcare Industry reaches all walks of life, and with that comes a broad range of career pathways to choose from.

While there is no right or wrong answer, you may be better suited to one particular healthcare sector than another.

When looking at your career options, try considering the following:

1. Do I have a passion for caring for others?

The healthcare industry gives you the opportunity to make a positive impact on someone’s life. If you enjoy looking after others then you may be well suited to the healthcare industry, with many finding the medical field a fulfilling career.

2. What qualifications do I need for a job in healthcare?

Some Healthcare careers require specialised training, or even a university degree which may be dependent on your ATAR score and Y12 completion.

Other career pathways require entry-level qualifications such as a Cert III in Health Assistance or a Cert IV in Aged Care Support. It’s always important to do a little research into what qualifications you may need for a particular healthcare job. This can help guide your subject selection and higher education goals.

Learn more about Healthcare Qualifications and Entry Pathways.

3. Do I want to go to university or start working straight out of school?

If you want to go to university, then a degree relating to health science could be right for you. Discover the best places to study for a Healthcare career.

If university or higher education doesn’t sound right for you, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get stuck into healthcare as soon as you leave school. Entry-level qualifications, work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships can all help you kickstart your Healthcare career straight away.

Wondering if a career in the medical field could be right for you? Take the career quiz to find out!