Career Management      

- Why Choose a Career in Health Care?

- Which career is right for me?

- What does the future look like for Health Careers?

- How do I get started?

- How do I prepare for professional training programs?

- Why is volunteering important?

- What are the options for paying for training?

- What about the military?

- Texas Needs Health Care Professionals 

- Find out the Top 5 Reasons to Work in Health Care

Texas Needs Health Care Professionals

Texas has a shortage of trained health care professionals, which means that there are more jobs than there are health care professionals to fill them. And, the health care industry is growing, so there are new job opportunities being created. Since health care professionals are needed all over the state, most careers offer a great deal of job mobility, giving you greater freedom to choose where you live and work. You can stay in your hometown or move anywhere you want.
More health care professionals are needed because of
             • An aging population,
             • New forms of information technology,
             • The need for multi-skilled health care workers, and
             • The move toward preventative and primary care.
There are great opportunities for health care professionals to work in rural and underserved urban communities. In some parts of Texas, people have to drive over an hour to see the doctor or the pharmacist. And in some places, you have to drive three hours to get to the hospital. Many communities across the state are seeking health care professionals to enhance or improve health care access.

Find out the Top 5 Reasons to Work in Health Care

1.  More jobs available than most other fields.

There are more than 16 million jobs in the health care industry. The number of jobs continues to grow because of the large number of aging Americans.  The increasing demand for health care means there are many career options for students of all backgrounds, education levels, and skills. Health care is a very stable industry, which means fewer layoffs, more job stability, and better job security.

Career Fields and Their Job Availability

Source: Texas Workforce Commission report, 2008.

1. Potential to earn a lot of money. 

Many of the highest-paying careers in the United States are in the medical field. If you stay in college to pursue advanced healthcare degrees, you can increase you earnings by many millions over their lifetime. There are even high-paying jobs for students who want to complete only a year or two of training after high school. The more education and work experience you get, the more money you can make. 

According to a 2008 Texas Workforce Commission report, the top-paying majors in Texas one year after students graduate with either a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, are:

1. More flexible options for work hours available.

There are very few professions like health care that give people the flexibility to take care of their families while building their career. In some health careers, with each training certificate or degree completed, there are opportunities to promote into a higher level position. The health care field is also great for working parents. Many jobs allow a person to set their own schedule and work evening or night shifts. Individuals may also be able to work longer shifts to have more days off each week.

1. Opportunity to give back.

Whatever healthcare career you choose, you will be helping others and making an impact in your community. Being a healthcare professional can be personally rewarding in more ways than just making money. This is a career field that offers the opportunity to save lives, discover solutions to problems facing the community—and even the nation, and to serve families and communities every day.

1. Fun and exciting career path.

Because healthcare jobs are in such high demand, the training and work experience gained are very valuable assets to have. Many professionals become top experts in their field, are sought out by hospitals and companies, and travel around the nation teaching others. Whether you want to become an expert in your career field and work on a national or international level or would rather focus your work in you local community, it never gets boring working in this industry with each day bringing different things to do. You also have an opportunity to meet new people and work in a variety of settings. Every day can provide a different experience.