The New Year means new goals; many individuals set big goals at the beginning of the year. It’s a time to reset and, sometimes, change course. Your goals may involve a big career change. A significant career change can be scary. However, career moves are often a great idea for several reasons. They can lead to personal growth, financial gain, and networking. If a big career change is in your future this year, here are three questions to ask yourself before you make the leap.
What’s Your Why?
Understanding your reason for seeking change before making a career change is important. You may have gone back to school and graduated with a new degree. Switching jobs to your new line of work would make sense. Or maybe you’ve been dealing with stressors in your workplace that remain unresolved. If this is the case, thoroughly vet where you want to work next. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Another reason might be that you’d like to advance your career. Maybe you’d like to take on additional training opportunities, certifications, or leadership roles and are struggling to find support for these initiatives at your current workplace. Or, your motivation might be that you’d like to live in another city or experience a new part of the country.
Making a career move because you advanced your education and have a new degree is a straightforward career change. And if you currently work in healthcare, your employer may be able to keep you within the company in your new role. However, if your motivation is a new team, career advancement opportunities, or a change of scenery, consider a career change into healthcare contract staffing! Some individuals use contract staffing to explore new workplace environments before committing full-time. Others do contract work as their full-time, regular employment for the long haul.
If contract staffing in healthcare interests, you check out the open positions available with 365 Healthcare Staffing Services. They’re a leader in the field and would love to answer any questions and help you find the right fit!
Do I Need Additional Training?
Maybe you currently work as a medical assistant and dream of working as a surgical nurse in the operating room (OR). If that’s the case, you need additional schooling and a license as a registered nurse to enter this career field. Additional schooling is a big investment of time and financial resources. However, it’s usually worth the extra work!
Fortunately, several healthcare organizations offer tuition reimbursement for continued education. If advancing your healthcare degree interests you, it’s worth a phone call or email to your human resources department to determine what you may be eligible for. Several companies also offer tuition reimbursement programs, even if the program is outside of your current line of work. So, it’s worth exploring what benefits may be available to you. And if your employer doesn’t offer reimbursement or you need additional funds, many schools offer various loan programs and scholarships.
So, while starting a new degree program can feel intimidating, carve out your ideal healthcare career and explore the additional training and investments you need to get there.
Am I Happy Where I Work?
Happiness matters at work. According to the Harvard Business Review, only 30% of employees are engaged at work, and nearly 20% are disengaged. Engagement affects employee satisfaction in their workplace and the company’s bottom line. A disengaged employee isn’t going to go the extra mile or feel invested in meaningful projects.
If you are unhappy in your current role, there may be reasons that are fixable and reasons that aren’t as easily fixed. For example, if you’d like to advance your degree and move into a different role, that may be as simple as applying to your local technical college and filling out some paperwork with HR for reimbursement.
However, if there is ongoing workplace violence or bullying, you need to miss important family events because your unit is regularly understaffed, or your vacation requests are regularly denied — there may be chronic, ongoing issues that aren’t going to be resolved quickly. Alternatively, you may feel happy where you work, but they may lack the funding or resources to help you move into the job role you have your heart set on.
Several factors tie into workplace happiness. However, it might be time to move on if you aren’t happy at work and it is due to an issue you have attempted to resolve or that has no clear solution. If happiness is your main reason for making a big career change, it’s crucial to check out any new workplace thoroughly. Come prepared for the interview with a list of questions for the leadership team and ask to shadow the unit if it’s allowed. This can help give you a feel for the work environment.
There are several reasons to consider changing jobs. However, before you make the big leap, it’s essential to understand why you’d like to change jobs and what training you need to get there. And if happiness is your reason for making a leap, thoroughly check out any new potential workplaces.
Lastly, if an adventure, the ability to work at several different facilities, learn new skills in new environments, and the flexibility to work within set contracts instead of committing long term to an organization sound attractive, remember to check out the open positions through 365 Healthcare Staffing Services!
Learn more about our open healthcare positions with the help of our team!
