Healthcare Administration – From Gaining Experience to Landing the Gig

The median pay for medical health and service managers was $88,580 a year in 2012, equivalent to $42.59 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. 315,500 people already work in the industry, and with an increasingly aging population, the employment rate over the next decade is projected to grow at 23 percent, over double the average occupational outlook of 11 percent. For someone seeking a stable job in a high-demand field, the opportunities are excellent. Acquiring the required educational credentials is essential to breaking in, and gaining healthcare administration experience can also give you an extra edge.

Start With Education

Education forms the foundation for launching into a healthcare career, providing you with the training to qualify for positions, as well as giving you career guidance resources, internship opportunities, job hunting tools, and networking contacts. U.S. News & World Report provides a ranking of the best public affairs schools for health policy and management, topped by Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Berkeley. Some universities now offer distance-learning classes related to healthcare management, ranging from free to paid courses. In addition to such individual classes, there are also full online programs geared specifically towards getting you started in healthcare management, such as the accredited Penn Foster medical administrative assistant program.

Apply for Internships

While you’re pursuing your healthcare education, one of the best ways to gain work experience is to apply for internships. Your educational institution’s career guidance center may be able to point you towards local internship opportunities and may host job fair events where you can learn about intern programs. Internmatch provides a national directory of healthcare internships. Other opportunities can be found by contacting national and international organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the World Health Organization.

Join Professional Organizations

You can increase your odds of finding your first health care jobs by joining professional organizations that offer specialized job search engines and networking opportunities not available through general employment agencies. Special student memberships are typically available from organizations such as the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, the Medical Group Management Association, and the Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals.

Volunteer

While applying for internships and jobs, you can also seek volunteer opportunities with local, national, and federal government healthcare organizations. Local hospitals appreciate volunteers because they are less complicated to hire, creating an opportunity for you to gain experience with a potential employer and collect a letter of recommendation. For instance, New York Methodist Hospital welcomes administrative volunteers. National and federal government organizations also accept volunteers. For example, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers student volunteer programs and other volunteer opportunities.

Contact Nonprofits

Nonprofits represent another source of employment and volunteer opportunities. For instance, the American Red Cross relies on volunteers for 94 percent of its workforce and offers multiple volunteer opportunities. Examples of other organizations with volunteer programs include PATH, the Peace Corps, and Doctors without Borders.