Labor Bureau says healthcare jobs are good for employment. Staffing experts say well educated rehabilitation candidates are in high demand.
The healthcare industry is expected to generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs through 2018. Healthcare careers for physical therapists and occupational therapists will grow faster than average and demand for Speech Language Pathologists, physical therapy assistant jobs , medical technologists and technicians will surpass all other occupations.* Great news for healthcare employers and candidates alike.
Though healthcare career websites tout a rosy outlook for healthcare jobs, not everyone will qualify. Advanced credentials and years of experience will likely move to the front of the therapy jobs line. Next will be high academic achievers and flexible candidates willing to relocate.
Healthcare employers will expect competency and accountability from the next wave of healthcare job seekers. Some will test for proficiency after hire while others track caregiver performance via workforce metrics, electronic health records and patient surveys. A working knowledge of healthcare information technologies will be required of most.
Take for example physical therapy jobs, said Mary Kay Hull, Vice President of Recruitment with American Traveler Allied. In just a few short years a DPT or Doctorate of Physical Therapy will be required to enter this profession. This means years of sacrifice and study for beginners to achieve Graduate Employment. For working professionals wanting to get ahead; self discipline, perseverance and hours of burning the midnight oil. Without a DPT in five years, the marketability of a physical therapist may sorely diminish.
Occupational therapy jobs call for a breadth of job knowledge. From cognitive constructs in CAMFC-TBI (Computer Adaptive Measure of Functional Cognition for TBI) to quickly evolving treatments aimed at children, productive aging and disabilities, occupational therapy jobs require accurate, often computer assisted cognitive assessments, a mastery of human behavior and a familiarity with social constructs.
Demand for multilingual Speech-Language Pathologists is on the rise. With globalization touching all aspects of American life - and millions of immigrants gaining access to healthcare for the first time via reform - English-speaking speech language pathologists fluent in Mandarin, Korean, Arabic and Spanish will experience a heightened sense of marketability in coming years.
Similar to physical and occupational therapy jobs and speech language pathologists; medical technicians and technologists will need to continually prove their worth in the workplace. To this end, American Traveler Allied suggests healthcare job candidates speak to a therapy jobs recruiter to enhance marketability and successfully target healthcare employers. Call 800.617.0608 or apply online.
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American Traveler AlliedTM provides recruitment solutions for America's top rated rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient and Rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, and private therapy practices located in all 50 U.S. states. Our experienced team of staffing experts place physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, per diem staff and other allied healthcare professionals into therapy careers nationwide. Contact us today for instant access to cutting edge recruitment technology, therapy career resources, news, and information.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics.