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Business owners will agree that in-house hiring can be a tedious process

From the absence of efficient recruiting technologies to lack of time, there can be several reasons hampering the recruiting process at your engineering firm.

But outsourcing this job to a reliable engineering staffing firm can be of great help.

As the name suggests, these firms essentially hire the required staff on your behalf while providing several benefits.

Dive in to know more about them!

Top 5 Benefits Of Hiring An Engineering Staffing Firm

1. It Saves Time

Whether you’re planning to hire engineers for part-time or full-time roles, time is of the essence in most cases. And an engineering staffing company can help you save just that.

Your in-house recruitment team may often take weeks or even months to just shortlist the most desirable candidates, let alone conduct the interviews and complete the hiring process.

In contrast, the high-level expertise of the engineering recruiters at a staffing company can help you find ideal candidates within a reasonable period.

This is primarily because the staffing consultants have a thorough knowledge of the best hiring practices, employment trends, and the job market in general.

Simply put, they are equipped with all the know-how to reach out to the best candidates according to the job role.

Likewise, they usually score high when it comes to salary negotiations and setting career expectations.

Moreover, unlike your in-house recruitment team, staffing companies don’t generally deal with hundreds of applications for a post.

They approach a target set of candidates who fit different job roles, which reduces the complexity of the hiring process to a great extent.

2. It Has A Better Network

Because engineering staffing firms specialize in, well, recruiting engineers for different roles, they have access to a better candidate network than your in-office recruitment team.

As a result, you can save a lot of effort that would’ve otherwise gone into streamlining the hiring process.

Picture this: your engineering firm needs to hire an engineer for an urgent short-term project.

However, the recruitment team will still need to go through the following (usually time-consuming) steps:

• Advertising the opening in different channels
• Shortlist applications
• Conduct interviews
• Verify documents
• Create and process employment documents
• Ensure smooth onboarding

Executing so many tasks, especially for a comparatively short-term role, can be extremely overwhelming for your staff, not to mention the financial burden it adds.

However, staffing agencies have already established relationships with potential candidates they deem qualified and reliable after proper vetting.

This allows them to directly tap candidates who match the job requirements and can join within the given deadline.

Plus, different recruiting consultants may specialize in different job positions, meaning they have access to a wide network of candidates with a diverse range of qualifications, skills, and expertise.

Hence, employers can even hire for multiple roles at once without investing a lot of time or money.

3. It Can Help Reduce “New Hire Turnover”

One of the most common problems that employers face across industries is high new hire turnover rates (or new recruits resigning within the first year).

This can add significantly to the company’s expenses in terms of training and providing the required resources for the job.

When employers choose to hire temporary employees via recruiting agencies, they can avail a “trial period” to gauge employee performance on different parameters before offering them a permanent position.

As a result, there are fewer chances of employers dealing with staff leaving shortly after being hired.

4. It Reduces Your Recruitment Budget

By hiring an engineering staffing firm, business owners can avail significant savings on their overall recruitment budget.

The fees charged by a recruiting agency can take different forms (like a percentage of the employee’s paycheck), but they are almost always less than the in-house recruitment costs.

Moreover, the agency may offer discounted fees for mass recruitment.

Small businesses, in particular, benefit the most from outsourcing recruitment to staffing agencies, thereby getting highly qualified engineers at incredible cost savings.

Furthermore, as your business grows, you may need to expand your in-house recruitment team, which essentially adds to the overall business expenditure.

But a staffing agency usually doesn’t hike its fees frequently, so you can continue hiring the best talent without paying anything extra!

Most importantly, you pay only when you’re availing the services of the agency to recruit staff.

This is an advantage in times when your business may not be doing well, as you don’t have to spend on the salaries of the recruitment team members.

5. It Helps Prioritize “Soft Skills”

While there’s no denying that qualifications and expertise are of paramount importance, the “soft skills” cannot be ignored either.

For example, you’d want engineers who communicate well and are team players, especially if they’re required to work in a team. And these qualities may not be possible to gauge with just a couple of interviews in your office.

However, the expert consultants at engineering staffing agencies know how to detect the soft skills required to succeed in the role.

As they deal with hundreds of candidates, they are relatively better equipped to judge them on different parameters of the job role, irrespective of how short the hiring deadline is.

Staffing Agencies For A Solid Workforce

Although the benefits of an engineering staffing agency are many, an employer needs to choose the right one to avail most or all of them.

We’d recommend conducting proper research to ensure that the said firm has a thorough understanding of the skills required for the role as well as the job market in general.

At the same time, it should have a diverse and strong network with not just potential candidates but with established companies as well.

Remember that the best engineers engage with only those agencies that can provide them with quality placement opportunities.

Becoming a homeowner is ultimately a function of the price-to-income relationship, which hasn’t been favorable to most people contemplating this prospect lately.

The red-hot real estate market in the aftermath of the pandemic made it difficult for many Americans to achieve this goal. But what if there are places where you can still get a foot in the door?

To find out where Americans in various professional groups can still afford a home, StorageCafe, a self-storage marketplace powered by Yardi, set out to analyze the 100 largest metros.

They considered the fastest-growing groups of professions in the last decade and ranked them according to their ability to afford homebuying.

Average income, average home prices, and years needed to save for a down payment are some of the metrics included in their ranking.

Self-storage is also included as an expense, as homeowners use this service both when moving into a new home and also afterward to help manage home space.

The study concludes that the area where most occupations can comfortably buy a home is where the Midwest and Northeast regions meet, with Ohio metros dominating the top 10.

As might be expected, metros home prices way outweigh incomes in California, making it more difficult for locals to realize that turnkey dream.

Ohio Dominates List of Metros Where Most Occupations Can Buy a Home

Toledo, Ohio, emerges as the metropolitan area that is affordable for the largest number of occupations, with 51 of them able to buy a home there.

On average, Toledo employees have an income of $56K/year, and with homes costing around $156K, they need about 2.8 years to save for a down payment.

However, for some of the highest-paying professions here, which include advertising, marketing, and sales managers ($136K/year) and lawyers and judges ($120K), a little over a year is all it takes to save the down payment of the average home.

With homebuying within reach for such a large number of professions, so is self-storage: renting a Toledo storage unit to assist with the move costs around $84/month.

Apart from Toledo, here are some of the other best metros where professionals can afford homeownership:

Scranton, Pennsylvania

The Scranton, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area follows on the heels of Toledo, with 49 professionals being able to afford to buy a home.

Local trending professions earn around $52K/year while the average home price hovers around $162K.

Consequently, it takes most of them around three years to save up for a down payment.

Locals who work supervising construction and extraction activities – some of the fastest-growing occupations here (50%) – earn substantially more than the average worker here, bringing home about $76K/year.

Syracuse, New York

Moving closer to the coast, Syracuse, New York, is another metro faring well in terms of professions that can accede to homeownership, with 46 of them being able to make this claim.

Average homes cost a little more than in the Ohioan and Pennsylvanian metros we have seen so far ($181K), but incomes are also a little higher ($65K/year).

It takes the average employee 2.8 years – just as long as in Toledo – to save up for a down payment.

Advertising, marketing, and sales managers tend to bring home the fattest paychecks ($150K/year), followed by operations specialties managers ($140K), which makes them able to significantly curtail their waiting period to buy a home if they wish to do so.

Dayton, Ohio

Close behind, Dayton, Ohio, is another place that’s conducive to homeownership for a large swath of occupations (45), with home prices registering an average of $177K.

The trending professions earn an average annual salary of around $62K here, putting their down payment saving period within a three-year time span.

As the highest-earning employees in the metro area, air transportation workers ($148K/year), followed by advertising, marketing, and sales managers ($131K/year), can clearly expedite their pathway to homeownership within less than two years, based on income alone.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dayton shares the same spot with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which also claims 45 types of occupations that can plant roots here by buying a home in the Steel City.

Average homes are a little pricier here ($203K), but it takes only a little over three years to save enough for a down payment.

Trending professions earn an average of around $63K/year, but for lawyers and judges ($121K), top executives ($119K), and engineers ($102K), annual income is much higher.

Cleveland, Ohio

Living in Cleveland, Ohio, is financially advantageous for 44 groups of professionals. The average home costs around $202K, while average earnings are around $62K annually.

That puts the wait before buying a home within a little over a three-year period while the down payment is saved.

Cleveland’s top executives, lawyers, judges, and air transportation workers are in the higher income bracket, surpassing the $100K/year earnings threshold.

Akron, Ohio

Next up are Akron employees, who need around 3.3 years to put the money down.

Most Akron Ohioans can afford to buy a home thanks to the incomes averaging close to $60K/year and homes coming with an affordable price tag ($192K).

Jackson, Mississippi

Moving a little south, you might easily be able to purchase a residence in Jackson, Mississippi, if you work here.

Local employees bring home paychecks of around $50K/year, making the average home ($172K) within their reach. It takes the average Jackson employee around 3.4 years to save for a down payment.

McAllen, Texas

In another Southern metro proudly wearing the badge of affordability, McAllen, Texas, you are also likely to be able to realize the dream of buying a home if you’re among the 43 local trending professions.

Home costs are typically lower here, averaging around $154K. Within 3.8 years, average McAllen employees could save up for a down payment.

To assist with the purchase effort, McAllen self-storage also boasts the lowest self-storage rates ($83/month) in the top 10 metros for affordability, well below the national average of close to $130/month for a 10’x10’ storage unit.

In recent years, the use of commercial personality questionnaires has exploded, rapidly becoming a mainstay of learning and development (L&D) professionals worldwide.

Although the reasons behind their proliferation are myriad, the main driver behind their use is professional and personal development.

By mapping out a person’s personality, they are better able to reflect on development needs and areas of strength, paying dividends down the line.

As a result, employing organizations are investing heavily in psychometric testing, recognizing the tremendous value that they offer.

Outside of corporate applications, personality questionnaires are also utilized by end-users, not just employers.

We, as individuals, are now able to complete personality questionnaires online, helping us to identify development needs and shape our professional lives without the need for a third-party consultant.

In this article, we will outline the three ways that personality questionnaires can be used to better our professional and personal lives.

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

First and foremost, personality questionnaires allow individuals to map out and quantify their traits, characteristics, and behavioral styles.

In doing so, we identify the specific traits which help us in our everyday lives, recognizing our personal strengths.

This can provide a much-needed confidence boost, highlighting to individuals their strength of character and reassuring them that they can meet challenges head-on.

Additionally, this activity may also serve to guide an individual’s problem-solving or thinking styles, increasing the chances of success.

Over 50% of personality tests in recruitment use some form of ‘Likert scale’, a Likert scale has varying intensities of answers allowing someone to choose a particular value for how much they agree or disagree with a statement.

This allows the personality test to be less rigorous and to more accurately rate people’s traits e.g., extraversion.

If a person scores highly on an extroversion scale, this may confer certain advantages in the social domain, helping them to resolve conflict.

Moreover, personality questionnaires can also identify development needs, suggesting areas for improvement and observation.

Although personality itself cannot be changed, recognizing certain weaknesses can help avoid problems before they arrive and will increase self-awareness during difficult times.

For example, people who score highly on neuroticism scales are more likely to experience negative emotions and struggle with stress.

Knowing that you are innately more neurotic can help guide your decision-making, as avoiding stress and pressure will be of paramount importance.

Similarly, knowing that you are neurotic means that personal and professional development should be geared towards resilience and stress management, helping to avoid burnout and stress-related illness.

Identify Suitable Careers

Secondly, personality questionnaires can be used to identify suitable careers based on your personality profile.

It’s no secret that certain personalities are drawn to certain careers.

For example, in the Myers-Briggs 16 type framework, extroverted personality types tend to be drawn to customer service, sales, and managerial positions, as they tend to seek interpersonal interaction.

Knowing your personality type, in this instance, could help guide early-stage career decisions, minimizing the probability of choosing a career that doesn’t suit you.

In much the same way, personality questionnaires can be used to identify careers and vocations which are particularly unsuitable for your personality type.

For example, if you are particularly neurotic, then you should avoid highly stressful occupations, such as sales and finance.

Occupational burnout and stress-related illness are serious considerations when choosing a career, and your health should always be the main priority.

Additionally, undue stress is likely to reduce employee engagement and job satisfaction, making you miserable with the job itself.

With these considerations in mind, your own personal temperament should always be considered when choosing a vocation.

Consider Organisation-Role Fit

In the corporate space, the topic of “organizational culture” has become widespread as companies have realized that each organization is unique.

Much like nations, towns, and other groups of people, companies have unique cultures which bind them, favoring certain interpersonal styles over others.

Congruence between employee personality and organizational culture is essential, and organizations are even utilizing personality questionnaires in recruitment to ensure person-organization fit and its many other benefits.

For example, a specific organization may value innovation and creativity and will consequently seek to hire particularly innovative and creative employees.

Those who experience person-organization misfit are less likely to thrive in such an organization, as they will feel distant from their peers and will fail to impress their managers.

However, those who do share the organization’s values are likely to feel particularly at home, sharing a sense of belonging with their colleagues and their employing organization.

By identifying your personality traits and researching a company’s values, you will be able to self-assess your likely level of fit, helping to decide which organizations to apply to.

Conclusion

Personality questionnaires rank among the most versatile and useful personal development tools on the market.

However, one must also recognize the limitations of these tools to get the most from them.

Naturally, they are only designed to measure behavioral traits, not hard skills or cognitive abilities.

Many different factors will determine your development needs, career aspirations, and suitability to certain organizational cultures, not just your personality.

However, few other tools are as accessible or powerful, making them invaluable components of any serious professional and personal development plan.

Have you been feeling like your current job just isn’t for you anymore?

It’s not uncommon to feel like your current job isn’t your calling or that you’re simply not putting your skills to the best use.

We have provided a few signs that could suggest that you’re ready to change to a new career path, and this will lead to a more fulfilling life.

Are you ready to switch it up?

If so, then read on!

1. You’re No Longer Passionate

There are many signs that you’re ready for a new career. You may be bored with your current job or feel like you’re not using your skills to their fullest potential.

You may also feel like you’re not passionate about your work anymore. If you’re not passionate about your work, it may be time to consider new job options.

When you’re no longer passionate about your work, you’re less likely to be motivated to do your best. You may also find yourself feeling resentful towards your job or your employer.

If you’re no longer passionate about your work, it’s time to explore other options.

2. You No Longer Feel Fulfilled

A career is like a relationship – there are signs you’re ready for a new career if you no longer feel fulfilled, just like in any relationship, if you are feeling unfulfilled, it may be time to move on.

If you have been considering a new career, or have been unhappy in your current one for a while, here are some signs that it may be time for a change:

• You dread going to work
• No longer feels satisfying
• No longer feel aligned with your company’s values

A career should bring you joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. If it no longer does that, it may be time to make a change.

3. You Feel Like You’re Stuck in a Rut

If you feel like you’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of work with no chance for advancement, it may be time to move on.

You should feel like you have the opportunity to grow in your career, and if you don’t, it may be time for a change.

If you used to be passionate about your work, but now it feels like a chore, it’s definitely time for a change. Your career should make you excited to get out of bed in the morning, not dread the thought.

This could manifest as a general feeling of apathy or discontentment, or you may find yourself constantly daydreaming about other career paths.

You feel like you’re stuck in a rut, both in terms of your daily routine and your overall career trajectory.

You may also feel like you’re treading water or going through the motions rather than actively pursuing your goals.

4. You’re Constantly Feeling Overwhelmed

If you are feeling constantly overwhelmed, it may be a sign that you are ready for a new career.

When you are in a career that you are no longer fulfilled by, it can be hard to stay motivated, and constantly feeling overwhelmed can be a sign of that.

Once you find a career that you are excited about, it will be much easier to stay motivated and achieve your goals.

5. You Don’t Feel Like You Have a Good Work-Life Balance

You know you’re ready for a new career when you no longer feel fulfilled in your current position.

Maybe you’re working too many hours, and you don’t feel like you have a good work-life balance. Or maybe you’re just not passionate about what you’re doing anymore.

Whatever the reason, when you’re no longer happy in your career, it’s time to make a change. Research different career options, brush up on your resume, and start networking.

It’s time for a new chapter in your career.

6. You’re Ready for a New Challenge

This could be due to a variety of factors, such as a change in your personal interests or a desire for more challenges.

You’ve not been challenged enough, making you bored with your current job, and are ready for something new. If you’re experiencing any of these signs, it may be time to explore changing careers.

Transitioning to a new career can be scary, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. If you’re ready for a new challenge, research different career paths and find one that aligns with your interests and goals.

7. You Have Other Career Goals

You know you’re ready for a job change when you have other career goals. Maybe you’re not satisfied with your current position, or you’re looking for something more challenging.

Whatever the reason, when you have other career goals, it’s time to start exploring your options.

Do some research and explore different careers that interest you. Once you have a few options in mind, start reaching out to people in those fields to learn more about what the day-to-day realities are like.

The more you know about your options, the better equipped you’ll be to make a decision about which career is right for you.

Get Ready for a New Career Today!

If you’re finding yourself uninterested in your career, it may be time to consider a change.

Here are a few signs that you’re ready for a new career: you have other career goals, your skills are no longer being utilized, you’re bored with your work, and you’re no longer challenged.

If you’re ready for a career change, don’t be afraid to take the leap and pursue your goals.

Did you find this article helpful? Check out the rest of our blogs!

Healthcare professionals, including nurses, have respectable, high-demand jobs that offer excellent learning opportunities.

Although the training is challenging, the jobs are immensely rewarding.

The job market for registered nurses is ever-growing because there can never be enough practicing nurses.

Besides several job opportunities, nursing offers a lucrative career and allows you to do something good for society.

You can make a significant difference in people’s lives as a nurse.

But, if you’re still not sure whether nursing will be the right career path for you, here are certain factors to consider.

What Does Nursing Education Entail?

Nursing education includes post-secondary bachelor’s and master’s degrees, along with specialized nursing training programs for registered nurses.

That said, nursing education is not only limited to any academic degree or training.

It includes learning the values and protocols healthcare professionals must follow for advanced patient care to get the best outcomes.

Nursing students must be well-versed with the latest regulations and trends in the healthcare industry to offer excellent care.

They also need a thorough understanding and knowledge of how the healthcare system works to make the best out of a critical medical situation.

They’ll gain significant clinical experience at a hospital or medical center as part of their nursing course to learn more about patient care.

Additionally, nursing education revolves around teaching aspiring nurses about teamwork and leadership skills so that they can work with other healthcare professionals to treat patients.

Practicing nurses can enroll in advanced nursing programs to improve their skills and expand on their knowledge.

Several nursing schools and education programs even offer specialized courses to nursing students as per their specialty.

How Can Nursing Education Be A Great Career Move?

1. Several Job Options

Several nursing jobs are available in different sectors and geographic locations, and you get the opportunity to work full-time or part-time, depending on your convenience. Nursing jobs are flexible, and you can choose any shift of 4-12 hours.

Furthermore, as a registered nurse (RN), opt for any specialty after completing your degree. You can also switch specialties and expand your career options by getting an advanced nursing degree.

Since these jobs are transferable, it’s possible to travel across the country as a professional nurse.

2. Excellent Career Mobility

As an RN and nurse practitioner (NP), you can get suitable job opportunities in several sectors without limiting yourself to working at a hospital or community health center.

You can work as a nurse consultant in a forensic team if you’re interested in being part of the legal system.

At the same time, if you’re passionate about teaching young nursing aspirants, you can build a career as a professional nursing educator at a reputed university or college.

Or take up a role as a frontline worker if you’re trained in offering trauma care. Not to mention, when you love kids, you can work in schools or pediatric centers as a full-time or part-time NP.

3. Endless Learning Opportunities

Nurses face different challenges, especially if they are working at a trauma center. The learning opportunities are endless, and no day is the same as the one before.

As an NP, you’ll have to handle several patients with different medical requirements each day.

You’ll face new challenges and get to learn from the best doctors or other experienced healthcare professionals to become better at your job.

4. Job Security

Nursing is one of the few professions immune to economic ups and downs because your country’s economy might crash, but it won’t stop people from falling ill.

If you choose to build a career as a professional nurse, you don’t need to panic about getting a pink slip, even when the economy is dwindling.

Since nursing jobs are basically recession-free, you can enjoy superb job security.

5. High-Demand Jobs

Nursing can be an excellent career choice because you’ll always be in high demand.

In fact, the US healthcare system is currently facing an acute shortage of nurses, making nursing a much sought-after career.

The job market for nurses is also expected to witness a growth of 8.9% by 2030.

If you’re considering building your career as a nurse, this is the perfect time to enroll in a college or university to get a nursing degree.

6. Lucrative Career

Another important reason for choosing nursing as a suitable career option is because nursing jobs offer a lucrative salary, and you can make a good living working as an RN.

The average annual salary of RNs is quite high, which is bound to increase if you choose a career in general medical or surgical hospitals.

7. Nurses Make A Difference

As an RN, you’ll have the privilege of saving lives, especially if you work at a surgical hospital or trauma center.

By offering your services, you can make a real difference in people’s lives and be a valuable asset to society.

8. Several Online Nursing Programs

Thanks to the several scholarship options and online degrees, enrolling in a nursing program to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree has become easier than ever.

These scholarships and online degrees allow you to get on with the program at your convenience.

Whether you have a full-time job or other commitments, you can get a nursing degree anytime with these online courses.

Career Benefits For Nurses

Nursing can be an excellent career choice for anyone trying to do meaningful work for the betterment of people while making a good living out of their profession.

You’ll get plenty of job opportunities and learn to tackle new challenges every day as a nurse.

The online courses and scholarship programs also make it fairly easy to get a nursing degree, even if you’re currently working and looking for a career switch.

You also get to choose your area of work and build a nursing career in multiple sectors than just at a general hospital.

We hope our article has helped you gain better insight into this career to make the right choice.

Are you considering becoming one of the over 1 million cybersecurity workers in the United States?

It’s understandable that you’re not sure whether cybersecurity is the right career for you. After all, this is a young occupation that only became mainstream in the early 2000s.

Obviously, you’re passionate about the internet and computer technology. Perhaps you’re unsettled by the ever-increasing number of cyberattacks and want to help do something about it.

Noble reasons, but are they enough to make you want a career in cybersecurity?

You’ll be pleased to learn that there are solid reasons to become a cybersecurity professional. Keep reading!

1. Great Job Demand

From 2013 to 2021, the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs grew a whopping 350 percent. As of 2021, there were about 3.5 million open positions across the globe.

The U.S. has the biggest cybersecurity industry, meaning a larger share of those unfilled positions is right here at home.

Looking into the future, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is going to keep going up. As more organizations digitize their operations and new cyber threats emerge, more cybersecurity pros will be needed.

So, if one of your worries was whether you’ll find a job soon after getting the required training, you now have a satisfactory answer.

2. Diverse Cybersecurity Career Paths

When you decide to work in cybersecurity, you open up yourself to a number of cybersecurity jobs.

From entry-level jobs like incident response analyst and risk analyst to mid-level jobs like penetration tester to senior-level jobs like a chief information security officer, you have plenty of options to choose from.

A lot will depend on your level of training. For example, there are short-term cybersecurity training courses that will prepare you for an entry-level position, especially if you already have an IT background.

From there, you can advance your career by pursuing advanced cybersecurity courses.

3. Competitive Salary

After spending your time keeping hackers away, you want to be compensated handsomely.

Here comes the good news. The average annual salary for a cybersecurity professional is $96,000 – far more than the average American income.

If you start out as an entry-level cybersecurity professional, your salary will be lower than the average.

However, you can quickly increase your income by pursuing additional cybersecurity certification or specializing in specific fields, such as penetration testing.

4. A Seemingly Future-Proof Career

As technology advances and becomes more intelligent, automation is becoming the order of the day. Human jobs are being replaced by robots and software. As a worker, you’re certainly concerned about your job security.

While it’s difficult to predict the future of technology, we can say with confidence that cybersecurity professionals aren’t going anywhere.

Hackers are always inventing new ways to penetrate and compromise systems. It’s going to take fellow humans to find ways to stay several steps ahead of the bad guys.

So, if you’re looking for a future-proof career, cybersecurity is your home.

A Career in Cybersecurity Awaits!

A career in cybersecurity is as rewarding as its challenging. These jobs have great demand, the pay is strong, and there’s little to no risk of AI taking over.

Every day, though, there will be new cyber threats to fight.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Explore our blog for more tips and advice on IT careers.

Healthcare is a highly rewarding sector to work in. Every day, your decisions and actions have an impact on people’s lives.

It is a chance to make a positive difference in the health of hundreds or even thousands of people.

Healthcare management is a challenging career.

Healthcare is a fast-paced and rapidly changing industry, so you can expect your job to be varied and interesting, with myriad opportunities for advancement.

Range of Roles

The healthcare industry is a huge sector, with roles varying from frontline jobs in nursing to behind-the-scenes management as healthcare operations managers.

Within healthcare management, roles are also varied, ranging from high-level administrative roles to very senior positions such as the chief financial officer or chief operating officer for a hospital.

As the largest industry and the second-largest employer in the US, the healthcare sector offers a huge range of career opportunities, with plenty of scope for moving around to different fields within the sector.

More than 11 million people are employed in healthcare, and it is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the US.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 429,800 roles in healthcare management and administration in 2020.

What Do Healthcare Managers Do?

There are numerous types of healthcare management roles with widely varying job descriptions, so there isn’t a short answer to this question.

However, for a typical generalist role, you can expect to be responsible for managing operations efficiently so that healthcare can be provided in an affordable way to all patients requiring services.

Your focus is on the business, administrative, and leadership aspects of healthcare provision.

Importantly, this is in the context of an ever-growing demand for healthcare, with more patients and a greater life expectancy.

General healthcare management roles cover a wide spectrum of activities, and for these, you will need a strong and broad skillset, including skills and experience in finance, leadership, and operations management.

You will also need a good level of knowledge of the healthcare sector or the ability to learn very quickly on the job.

Responsibilities can include:

• Setting goals at the departmental or organizational level
• Setting budgets and monitoring actual spend
• Improving healthcare service delivery
• Monitoring changes to laws and regulations that are applicable to the healthcare industry and ensuring compliance with them
• Managing organization and security of patient data
• Managing staffing and schedules

Operational healthcare managers in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities have responsibility for dealing with a range of challenges, from emergency shortages of beds, equipment, or staff to longer-term management of costs and staff retention and recruitment.

They may also be responsible for ensuring that the facility is compliant with all relevant government regulations. This helps to maximize patient and staff safety, as well as minimize the risk of costly fines and criminal prosecution for non-compliance.

This area of healthcare management can involve long hours, being on call outside office hours, and the ability to stay calm under sustained pressure.

When the clinic, unit, home, or hospital you are responsible for is open long hours or even 24/7, you are likely to be asked to work out of hours at times.

If this type of role would not suit your lifestyle, there are plenty of other roles in the healthcare industry that do not involve such a demanding work schedule.

The wide range of roles available in the healthcare sector means that it can suit people with many different skill sets.

There are many openings to get into the industry, and once you are working in the field of healthcare, there are plenty of opportunities for development and progression and to move into different areas or specializations within the sector.

For example, digital technology is playing an increasingly important role in the healthcare industry, creating new roles for tech experts to join and develop solutions to problems in the sector, from issues with data management to automation in the provision of healthcare services.

There is also a growing emphasis on preventative healthcare. The potential benefits in this area are considerable, with the scope to improve population health, improve patient outcomes, ease the pressures on the overburdened healthcare system, and reduce overall costs.

Designing and implementing policies and solutions to support this requires high levels of strategic thinking, vision, creativity, and leadership.

The healthcare industry is very heavily regulated in the US. Ensuring compliance with all aspects of government regulation can be an onerous responsibility, but it is an essential one.

This aspect of healthcare management requires close attention to detail as failure to comply can lead to prosecutions or fines.

Options for specialist career fields in healthcare administration and management include:

• Compliance
• Human resources
• Information systems
• Operations (e.g., for a hospital or physician’s practice)
• Planning and development
• Policy
• Purchasing
• Quality assurance
• Risk management and safety

Variety

No two days are the same when you work in healthcare. Each day brings fresh challenges and fresh rewards.

Your day could involve anything from meeting with staff and liaising with suppliers or investors to presenting at board meetings.

You will not work directly with patients, but everything you do will have an impact on them.

The healthcare sector is continually evolving, with new conditions and treatments and innovative technology bringing further change. This can make the role both demanding and exciting.

Managing anomalous events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, adds to the already complex nature of working in the healthcare sector.

However, it can help you to develop skills that you can lean on in future situations.

If you have the resilience to deal with long hours and, at times, a stressful and fast-paced environment, then a career in healthcare management can be very rewarding.

Attractive Salary and Benefits

Medical and healthcare services roles command good salaries.

In 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that this sector had an average annual salary of $118,800, while in hospital settings, the median salary was $127,330.

Senior healthcare executives can easily expect to earn $200,000, and often significantly more, depending on the type of organization.

In addition to annual salaries, many employees in healthcare roles have a wider compensation package, which may include cash bonuses or stock options.

Job Security

There is a huge and growing demand for healthcare professionals. This is true right across the industry, from nurses and physicians to healthcare managers.

The demand for healthcare workers is set to grow significantly for the rest of the decade and beyond.

Factors such as the aging population in the US, the Affordable Care Act, and more complex health needs are contributing to the extra demand for healthcare.

With increasing life expectancy, people are, on average, requiring care for more years, as well as often having more ailments and conditions requiring treatment with aging.

For example, the demand for nurses in the US is projected to increase by 9% between 2020 and 2030. There are currently not enough nurses entering the profession to fill the growing number of job vacancies.

This is partly due to shortages of nursing educators, which is being aggravated by the overall shortage, with fewer experienced nurses available to move on into education. Demand for physicians is also outstripping supply.

The Association of American Medical Colleges published data from 2020 that indicated that the US could see a shortfall of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033 across both primary care and specialty care.

These shortages are sizeable, but for healthcare management, the demand is projected to be far higher still. Demand is anticipated to grow by 32% between 2020 and 2030.

Demand is predicted to be highest for roles in information technology and for medical group practice managers.

With this scale of increase in the need for people to fill roles in this sector, it is considered recession-proof. There has never been a better time to start or progress your career in healthcare management.

Work Anywhere

The healthcare sector is so vast and far-reaching that it opens up employment opportunities to you right across the US and beyond.

Graduates from a master’s healthcare program will be able to find employment in any state, either in cities or in rural areas, and even in other parts of the world.

Every country has some form of healthcare provision, so if you would like to work outside the US, you are likely to be able to find roles where your experience is relevant and valued.

Job Satisfaction

Despite the fact that careers in healthcare are demanding, people working in the sector generally report high levels of job satisfaction. They know that their job is beneficial to the community.

The challenges that healthcare workers face are offset by the reward of knowing that patients are getting the care they need.

Difficulties such as shortages of personnel, budget constraints, and sourcing equipment present ongoing obstacles to achieving goals.

However, when you are delivering on your goals and healthcare provision is being made available efficiently to those who need it, working in healthcare management can be highly rewarding.

Many people working in healthcare also place a high value on being part of a team of individuals all pulling together to deliver the best outcomes possible for their patients.

Transferrable Skills

Much of the experience you gain working in the healthcare sector will be relevant to other sectors.

This means that should you decide to move on from healthcare at some point in the future, you will be in a strong position to be recruited into another industry.

Healthcare management is well-respected, and having this type of employment on your resume will indicate to prospective employers outside the sector that they can expect you to have a well-rounded skill set, including high levels of resilience and good problem-solving skills.

Qualifications Required for a Career in Healthcare Management

The qualifications you need to work in healthcare management vary according to the specific role, but most roles at the managerial level will require a bachelor’s degree as a minimum.

If you want to study for a master’s degree in healthcare management, you will need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school, but it is not mandatory for the degree to be in a related subject.

Some healthcare managers will have specialized degrees – for example, if they began their career in the healthcare industry in a role such as nursing.

A nurse with a BSN would be in a position to make the transition into healthcare administration.

Others will have started out in healthcare management with a degree in health services. In either case, a postgraduate degree, such as an online Executive Master of Health Administration, is ideal for furthering your career in healthcare management.

For more senior roles, a master’s degree may be a requirement rather than optional – for example, hospital management or executive nursing positions.

Executive Master of Health Administration

The Online Telfer Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) is run by the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management and is designed to prepare you for and support you in leadership roles in healthcare management.

The program provides a rounded education in business management and health, focusing on building your skills in the areas of data, innovation, technology, leadership, and policy development.

Course studies are completed online, with the exception of the final week of the program, which is spent on campus for an immersive interactive experience with peers, faculty, alumni, and sponsors.

How Long Does an EMHA or MBA in Healthcare Management Take?

The duration of a healthcare MBA varies by school. Some full-time programs last for two years, but some schools also offer accelerated programs.

If you choose to study part-time for an MBA in healthcare management, then the course will take longer – often up to three years.

What Background Do EMHA Students Have?

People studying for an EMHA or MBA in healthcare come from diverse work sectors.

Some will be physicians who are looking to add new skills to their portfolio with a view to moving into managerial roles in the future.

Healthcare MBA programs are ideal for nurses who wish to progress their careers – for example, for leadership roles – or who have a career shift in mind into another field within the health sector.

Your MBA student group may also include people who do not have a background in healthcare but who are keen to move into the industry.

Given that thousands of jobs in a wide variety of roles are being created in healthcare management every year, it is not surprising that many people from different walks of life are looking for a route into a career in this sector.

With the added advantages of security, good compensation, and the rewarding nature of the work, the healthcare sector has plenty of attractions for high-caliber individuals.

Experience Required

For some managerial roles, you will be expected to have frontline work experience.

For example, nursing experience would be a prerequisite for applying for a role as a clinical manager in a nursing department.

However, for many healthcare management positions, the requirement would be broader, and more general work experience in the sector would be perfectly adequate.

Strong leadership and other transferrable skills will be particularly important for anyone joining from outside the sector, as you have more to prove and will need to demonstrate to people within the sector that you can quickly acquire the knowledge and understanding required for the role.

Soft Skills for Healthcare Management

People who choose a career in healthcare management and administration would be expected to have the following skills:

• Strong communication skills (both written and spoken)
• Leadership
• Creativity and vision
• Problem-solving skills
• Attention to detail

In all avenues of healthcare and no less in management, there is an expectation of continuous self-development and ongoing learning.

Many healthcare organizations will facilitate this through in-service training or tuition support.

Licensing Requirements

Some roles will also require applicants to have a license, and they may need to have passed a national licensing examination.

This could be applicable for specific roles in a nursing home setting. The license would be recognized across all states.

Where Do Healthcare Managers Work?

Around 33% of health services and medical managers in the US were working in hospitals in 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are also many roles in physician’s practices, dental clinics, nursing homes and assisted living facilities and many other healthcare-related settings.

There are also openings for healthcare management graduates and executives in a range of related careers in sectors and organizations such as:

• Federal agencies
• Health insurance
• Management consulting
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Professional societies

With so many different roles and prospects for development in healthcare administration and management, it is easy to see the attraction of working in this industry.