Making the Grade

Jupiter Medical Center is a community hospital and as such, our number one priority is the care, health and well-being of the community we serve. However, it’s not just about taking care of the patients that walk through our medical center or come and see us for treatment at one of our urgent cares or satellite facilities. We are also dedicated to providing a host of services to healthy members in our community, including students who attend the high school just down the road from Jupiter Medical Center.

As a father and health care professional, one of the programs that I am most proud to be affiliated with is the Jupiter Medical Center Academy at Jupiter High School. The Medical Academy is a career preparation program for students interested in pursuing a career in health care. Upon completion of the three to four-year program, the students receive an industry certification. Since its inception, hundreds of students have participated, with more than two-thirds ultimately entering the health care field.

Through the program, students have access to hands-on medical equipment, demonstrations and practicums, day-long observations and robust internships at the hospital as well as classes. Many of the students in the program see more medical procedures during their time in high school than most first- and second-year medical students. Students also attend a wide array of field trips. We are currently planning a trip to New York City to observe the staff at one of our partner hospitals - Mount Sinai.

Having students in the building is wonderful for me and my staff. Not only does it remind us of why we chose this profession, but they ask amazing questions. They have also been known to give us an idea or two!

I’m not the only member of my team who gets excited about the program and its eager participants. Nurses, lab technicians, doctors and other medical professionals constantly go above and beyond to mentor students, help with equipment demonstrations and answer questions. Our whole team has truly adopted the program.

Jupiter Medical Center Academy at Jupiter High School is a win-win for us and for our community. The greatest gift we can give our kids is the best education possible, and nurturing the next generation of health care professionals can only make a dramatic and positive impact on our field and community.

As a hospital that puts community above all else, encouraging young people to join us on our journey to achieve health and wellness in our community is the smartest thing we can do. Our goal is to give them an A+ experience and the opportunity to foster their interest in health care. Hopefully we make the grade.

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How Can Manage an MBA While Working?

You work full time. You're constantly on the road for business. You want to make sure you have plenty of time for family, friends and fun. Wondering how in the world you can fit an MBA into your life?

How Can Manage an MBA While Working?

First, it's important to realize that an online MBA requires the same time commitment as a traditional MBA - the course structure and work load are very similar. But the big difference is, with online study, you have much more flexibility to control your study time, and you don’t need to give up your job to do it. The opportunity cost of earning your degree is minimized.

How much time does it take? 
I am currently a student enrolled in the Jack Welch MBA program, which recommends allowing 15-20 hours of study time per week per course. It also varies depending on the course. As a marketing professional, I find the Global Marketing course is a breeze. When I decided to use my final assignment to build a marketing plan for my client, the assignment doubled as my professional work and allowed me to write a very high quality proposal. On the other hand, I spend more time and effort in finance related courses, a subject that I have less experience in.

Time requirements also vary depending on the week. Most courses have three assignments -- in weeks 3, 6 and 10 -- during the 10-week period, but other courses require five assignments every other week. I usually spread out the time to write the assignments so my weeks are balanced.

How can you find time to study?  
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get so much more done than others? Have you also noticed that you always find time to do the things you really want? The rule is that if you want something badly enough, you will find time to do it.

During our online and offline networking sessions with students, the topic of time management always comes up. So I want to share a few quick “secrets” on how students with different lifestyles manage their time:

• Early birds. These students rise in the early morning, usually around 5 am, and study for 2-3 hours before going to work. My inspirational friend Heidi Boyd gets hours of work done before most people get up. Some students choose to beat the traffic and arrive at the office early to study for a couple of hours before everyone else shows up. An early bird approach can help you sneak in 10-15 hours a week for study before you even start work.
• Night owls. This is me and many others. My kids go to bed at 8:30pm, so between 8:30 and 11:30pm, I have 3 solid hours to work on my MBA. I can easily get 15 hours of work done a week during this pocket of time.
• Hummingbirds. These students are ready for action both early and late, finding blocks of time in between. My genius classmate Brian Flach writes his class discussion posts during lunch time. This allows him to get at least 5 hours a week of coursework done without sacrificing mornings or evenings.
• Weekenders. Most of us have control over the weekend. I study anywhere between 4 to 12 hours depending on whether it is assignment week or not, but I always try to balance out the weekend by spending quality time with family and friends.
• Road warriors. For those who travel a lot, like my classmates and fellow student advisory board members Kathleen Thompson and Andy Fraser, loading textbooks onto an iPad or Kindle is a must. They also read or write while waiting at the airport or in flight, accomplishing 5-10 hours of MBA study a week, no matter where in the world they are. Both Kathleen and Andy are high achievers at work and have earned big promotions since starting the Jack Welch MBA program.

Through these strategies, you can quickly surface 20-30 hours of study time even during a busy week. Of course, you will have to miss a lot TV, but I can tell you living without TV is a very liberating experience. I have to watch TV for work, but I limit that time to a minimum.

On improving efficiency at work 
One more bonus point on how to improve productivity. In their best-selling book “The One Thing”, authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan reveal how multitasking at work slows things down. On the low end, we lose 28% of our work day by frantically switching among work, emails and phone calls -- that's more than a day per week. With more singular focus, you can better manage your time at work, and net one bonus day every week. And that's really all the time you need to fit in your MBA.

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How to Be a CEO

CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is a top-ranking corporate position, responsible for overseeing operations. Often the company's president, the CEO reports to the chairman of the board and board members.

How to Be a CEO...

Becoming a CEO doesn't happen overnight. CEOs work their way through the ranks and rise to the top thanks to a combination of hard work, perseverance, and traits and qualities that make them a top-notch business leader. Read the steps below to learn about the path to becoming a CEO, and the steps CEOs take to stay successful.

Part 1: Making the Grade
1. Get educated. If you want to be a CEO, you need to perform well in school. Ideally, you should complete both an undergraduate and a graduate degree. Focus your studies in an area that will be relevant to the industry you hope to enter, but keep things general enough that you can be flexible if you don't snag your dream job right out of college.

Many CEOs complete an undergraduate degree first, work for several years as an employee, rise through the ranks, and then return to an MBA program to earn a graduate degree. You don't need to put off joining the workforce just because you don't have all the education you want yet.

The larger the company you're hoping to one day rise to the top of, the more important it is that you attend (and graduate from) a school that has some cachet attached to its name. Obviously, some CEOs never even graduated college, but by the numbers, your best chance is to have a prestigious name on your degree. Consider Ivy League schools, of course, but don't forget smaller liberal arts colleges with respected business programs, either.

2. Spend extra time learning finances. Nothing helps a CEO make wise decisions for the company quite like a strong base of financial knowledge. While you can study and learn about finance and economics at any stage of your life, your college years are probably the best opportunity you'll ever get. If you aren't majoring in accounting, economics, or finance, take plenty of elective courses in those areas – even consider a minor.

Once you're a part of the workforce, take advantage of any and every opportunity your company offers to increase your financial knowledge with seminars, special classes, and other events. A great CEO never stops increasing, refreshing, or honing his or her knowledge.

3. Make connections early. During college, attend business seminars and networking events whenever you can. Apply to internships anywhere that you can show off your leadership skills and willingness to work hard; keep applying until you snag one (or more). Volunteer your time to help with charitable and other events that will allow you to rub shoulders with other future business people. In short, act as though you're already climbing the corporate ladder before you even start.

Don't hesitate. It's never too early to start making the right impression on local business and civic leaders. You never know who might notice you and help smooth the way to your first real career job with a good reference or a kind word about you, when the time comes.

4. Shoot for the stars. As soon as you get a job based on your college qualifications (even if you're still in college at the time), treat it like you want to own the whole company. Employees who bring a sense of vitality and seriousness to their jobs are few and far between; be a company booster and a team player, and rest assured, you will be noticed. Accept extra tasks with zeal, and seek them out yourself whenever possible. Do everything you can to show your bosses that you're serious about advancing your professional life.

Do your utmost to get in touch with, and on friendly terms with, high-level executives in your business and wherever else you meet them during the course of your career. Observe the way they act and speak. You might even ask one to become a mentor for you. The worst that they can say is “no,” and executives tend to appreciate brashness over propriety anyway. An executive mentorship, if you can get it, is a powerful tool for fast-tracking your career.

5. Stay flexible. It's not talked about too often these days, but raw ambition is a very useful (some might even say vital) trait for a business leader to possess. A part of being ambitious and aggressive about advancing your career is being open to taking paths you weren't expecting to take. At the very least, stay open to the possibility of switching shifts or locations in order to secure an advancement. If you jump at the chance to be a manager in a branch office somewhere far away, you'll probably get the promotion over others who have reservations about it.

Once you've been with a company for a year or two, if you feel you're being passed over for advancement, scan job listings regularly and apply to any position that seems like a serious step up. A lot of CEOs started their careers as managers and junior vice presidents for two or three related businesses before becoming the head of their own company.

Don't be afraid to get entrepreneurial. CEOs and entrepreneurs share many traits, and a person planning to become one can get a great start by becoming the other. If you see an opportunity to go into business for yourself, and it seems like a better path to the executive level than your current one, don't hesitate to make the change. Cultivating a successful company from the ground up is an impressive distinction on any corporate resume.

6. Join a board. If you can, elect to become a member of the board of directors at a respectable company. This gives you valuable experience you can use to interact with the board at your own company once you become a CEO. It's also an excellent feather in your cap, as nearly half of all CEOs in the United States served as board members at some point previous to becoming CEOs.

Part 2: Being a Great CEO

1. Understand what a CEO does. The CEO of a company isn't necessarily the founder or even the owner; a CEO isn't quite the same thing as an entrepreneur. A CEO isn't a mere bookkeeper or office monkey, though, either. Rather, the CEO's job is to run the company: oversee financial decisions, resolve imbalances, and keep things on track for more profitability each and every year. This means a great CEO is a combination of an ideas person (like an entrepreneur), willing to take risks and think big; and a hands-on person, eagle-eyed in matters of money and human resources, always willing to dig into the details until everything is perfect.

2. Rely on experience. Most CEOs attain their position after many years – sometimes decades – in the same industry, or even at the same company. Once you reach the top, don't forget your roots. Use all that you know about your business (or area of business) to run it as efficiently as possible: differences between written policy and practical “ground rules;” connections who can give you insight into places you're no longer closely connected to; attitudes and beliefs among low-level employees about the business.

3. Lead with vision. To be a truly great CEO, you must exercise control over your company by shaping the workplace environment to be one that has a distinct and palpable culture. In other words, a great leader creates a sense among his or her employees that they are a part of something truly special, something bigger and more significant than any one part of the whole. Your attitude and actions towards your workforce very clearly set the tempo at every level of the company.

Demand the world of your workers, but allow them to make mistakes. Show them that the company believes in them enough to let them keep trying until they make it – as long as they are good enough at their jobs to make it in a big way when they do. Encourage productivity by encouraging risk-taking and personal judgment calls. You always have the last word if something is a poor fit for the business.

4. Be clear-cut. As a CEO, it's your job to run the entire business. Though you delegate many of the daily tasks to your subordinates, you're the one with the bird's-eye view who can see the whole pattern of the company as it breathes and changes over time. Bearing that in mind, use what you see and know to communicate your plans and explain your decisions to your workers clearly, plainly, and openly. If they know what your vision for the company is, they'll have a much easier time helping you to realize that vision.

5. Stay connected. Never succumb to the illusion that the CEO lives and works in an ivory tower while the rest of the business goes on below, guided by distant edicts from on high. An effective CEO is always in the thick of things: visiting every department, assisting with any task they are qualified to assist with, speaking to employees and listening to their feedback. A part of your time is necessarily spent at the top, planning ahead and thinking in broad terms, but the rest of your time should be spent in the thick of the action.

Feel free to micromanage if you need to show someone the way you'd prefer them to do something. Don't simply berate them or tell them what you're doing wrong; instead, clear them out of the driver's seat and do it yourself, explaining the reasoning of every step and action along the way. A great CEO leads by example, not insult.

6. Embody strategy. Above all else, once you become a CEO, your business is the future of the company. You must be adept at thinking six moves ahead, seeing around the next corner, and guessing what the future will hold. Stay abreast of trends and always think about your company's place in the business world at large. How can you stay king of the hill? If you're not, how can you knock the other schmoe out of the top spot? If these are the questions that help guide your business strategy, you'll be the most effective CEO you can be.

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How to Become a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

The job of a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative is to educate physicians and other medical professionals on new advances in the pharmaceutical industry and showcase cutting-edge treatments and medications. Are you looking to flex your sales skills in a professional environment? Are you interested in science and the latest new technological advances? Become a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep and work as an ambassador for the pharmaceutical industry, bringing the necessary knowledge and drugs to the healthcare facilities and consumers who need them.

How to Become a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

Part 1: Breaking into the Industry

1. Earn a Bachelors degree. A four-year degree from an accredited university or college is required to become a pharmaceutical sales representative. You can improve your chances by gaining a degree in a related field like Life Science.

• Earning your degree in the science field will not only provide you with valuable tools to understand new breakthroughs, but help you communicate with other medical professionals.
• Coursework in Business is also a valuable way to gain sales skills.
• Generally, most pharmaceutical companies will consider a four year degree in any subject, as it represents your ability to master new information and your discipline to follow through.

2. Get licensed/certified. Voluntary certification as a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR) is available through the National Association of Pharmaceutical Representatives. This type of certification will give you the pharmaceutical product knowledge required by pharmaceutical sales companies, and educate you on the rules and regulations for selling products. You will also learn skills to help you hone your selling techniques.

• All CNPR® Certified graduates also get access to a job search tool called NAPRx® Career Center, a government website, where pharmaceutical companies look to fill job openings.

3. Connect with College Resources. While you are in school, you can begin networking and feeling out the industry by taking advantage of a variety of resources your campus provides.

• Attend job fairs. Some major pharmaceutical companies recruit directly from college campuses. Dress professionally and prepare for an interview on the spot. Do what it takes to sign up early, as some of these events have rosters that fill up quickly.
• Use your Career Resource Center. This valuable resource will connect you to useful information about the job market and a career councilor who can provide assistance in working on your resume or career prospects.

4. Get some sales experience. As a pharmaceutical sales rep, your career revolves around sales. This will require you to be comfortable and professional when speaking one-on-one or talking in front of large groups while presenting information to close the sale. Having previous experience working in sales is a huge advantage for your resume.

• Employers are looking for candidates who can be persuasive and have excellent communication skills. The more practice you have in sales, the more prepared you will be for your interview.

5. Network. Keep in contact with professionals at your university. Tell everyone that you know about your career goals. Getting into pharmaceuticals sales can be challenging because some firms only advertise openings when they cannot fill them by word of mouth.

• Talk to doctors and other medical professionals and ask them for the names of their sales reps. If you have a chance, talk to the sales reps and district managers directly. A good referral from a rep is a better tool than your resume.
• Seek out recruiters who work in the pharmaceutical field.
• Look for pharmaceutical job fairs where you can make connections in the industry.

6. Keep up to date on industry news. Read annual reports, news releases, and stock-market reports. Find out everything you can about competing products and companies. Some good resources for news include:

• CafePharma
• CuttingEdgeInfo.com
• BioSpace
• FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
• Lexi Comp New Information and Products

Part 2: Getting the Job

1. Create a strong resume. Drug companies get hundreds of resumes daily, so yours needs to stand out from the rest. Your resume should be directly targeted to the company you are applying for. This means that you will need to adjust your resume for each company.

• Your resume should be driven by a list of your accomplishments. Remember, this is a sales job. Ultimately, you need to sell yourself to each prospective employer.
• Professional resume writers offer a service to assist you in strengthening your resume. If you feel like you are struggling, you can enlist their help for a price.

2. Create a Brag Book. A Brag Book is essentially a portfolio for pharmaceutical reps. Make copies of everything you want to include and scan the originals into your computer. Use the scanned documents to create a single file of your complete Brag Book. You don’t need to send your Brag Book with every application. Once you get a hiring managers attention, let them know that you have a digital copy available. Create a hard copy and organize it professionally. Your brag book should contain relevant documents and letters that represent your professional achievements. Include:

• Table of contents
• Resume
• Company ranking reports
• Performance reviews
• College transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Positive emails
• Marketing materials
• Continuing education certificates
• Photos of trophies, copies of plaques, award certificates

3. Land an interview. You can apply at a companies website, but your best shot is to contact your networking connections and gain the names of professionals in the industry who you can send your resume to directly.

4. Use your Brag Book at your interview. Bring a hard copy with you and expect the hiring manager to keep it. Focus on bringing attention to your Brag Book by referring to specific items inside it throughout your interview. Make sure you know your own book very well.

• Highlight your Brag Book and let it back up your verbal answers. For example, your interviewer may asks you about your sales targets, you can point to a ranking report or a performance review in your Brag Book.
• The way you use your Brag Book during the interview can set you apart from the competition by providing the hiring manager with a demonstration of your salesmanship.

5. Ace your interview. Use your knowledge and understanding of the industry to back up your verbal answers. Some questions will test your knowledge of the job itself while others will be sales or product related.

• Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. Share personal stories related to the medical field that might make an impression.

6. Ask for the job. Demonstrate your star sales ability by asking for the job at the end of the interview. At the end of the interview, say something like, “Is there anything about my qualifications that may keep you from moving forward with me in the application process?”

• Ask when you can expect to hear back if they don’t tell you.
• Write Thank You Notes to every hiring manager who sees you. If they couldn’t hired you, they may know someone else in the industry who can. Keeping a professional relationship with everyone you meet, is key.

Part 3: Working as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

1. Understand your salary and benefits. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics[8], the median annual salary of pharmaceutical sales representatives is $88,200, and most earn between $51,710 and $145,730.

• Sales reps who work for established companies receive benefits packages often including a company car, business trips, expense accounts, stock options, bonuses, medical and life insurance, and tuition reimbursement and retirement plans.
• Be sure to inquire with your company about the benefit options that are available to you.

2. Excel in your training. Most pharmaceutical companies will provide on-the-job training to new sales reps. Some companies even provide tuition reimbursement for ongoing coursework in pharmacology and related fields.

• As a Pharmaceutical rep, you will be expected to enroll in continuing education throughout your career.

3. Know your responsibilities. Most Pharmaceutical sales reps work on commission in a region. You will be responsible for scheduling and attending sales meetings with medical professionals and health care providers, following leads, and cultivating new customers for your company. You will also be responsible for attending industry conferences, speaking at provider events, and continuing your education as a medical professional.

• In addition to your sales duties, you may also need to conduct field research on behalf of your company. This involves surveying prescription patters and monitoring reactions to new treatments..
• This is a job filled with advancing technology in a fast paced environment. Strive to excel at the intellectual challenges you will face and take pride in communicating exciting medical advances with consumers. Here you will have the opportunity to share new and sometimes life-saving treatments with your community.
• You will likely be responsible for setting your own schedule and working independently. Since you work on commission, you may spend weekends and evenings on developing contacts and networking future sales.

4. Advance in the Industry. With time and experience, you will have the opportunity to advance into administrative positions in which you would supervise the work of new salespeople. Work hard, meet your goals and continue your education to climb the ranks of the pharmaceutical industry ladder.

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How to Earn an MBA While Working

Receiving your Masters of Business Administration (MBA) can greatly advance your career. However, many people will have to work while they are in school.

The following tips can help you figure out how to earn an MBA while working:

1. Discuss flexible work options with your boss.
It never hurts to ask your boss if there is any chance for a flexible schedule. A 4-day, 10-hour-per-day schedule may be beneficial to you. So may a day you can work from home. Your boss will be more flexible if receiving your MBA will ultimately benefit your place of business. If your company doesn't realize how your higher education will benefit them, be sure to make it clear so they will work with you to make it all happen successfully.

2. Stay organized.
Along with more responsibility come more commitments. If you didn't keep a planner before you started school, now is the time to start. Keep careful track of when assignments are due, when you have important meetings for work and when you have made time to do something social. Without a planner, it would be very difficult to keep track of all of the different facets of your life.

3. Prioritize.
You'll have to get better at saying no. With all of the added work you will have for school, on top of the work you already have for your career, you may have to let a few of the optional commitments in your life go. For example, you may have to skip this year's softball season or your traditional Friday night happy hour.

4. Be realistic.
Allot more time than you really think you'll need when you need to set aside time for getting a combination of your school and job work done. Booking yourself too tightly can lead to added stress that won't help you get anything done. Setting a realistic timeline for yourself will make you more effective and keep you on track with the goals you have set.

5. Adjust your sleep schedule.
Unfortunately, you may need more hours in the day than you're used to. If you have a family, the hours after bedtime may be some of your most precious. Although, in the short-term, you may have to go on less sleep, it will pay off when you become more accomplished in any given 24-hour period.

6. Use your lunch break wisely.
You'd be surprised how much an added hour, or even just a half-hour, each work day can add up. Utilizing every extra moment you have to study will make you that much more productive. Pack your lunch rather than going out to make the best use of every possible minute.

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How to Find a Job in Healthcare Administration

Healthcare administration is a growing field with lots of opportunities for qualified individuals. If you have recently completed a degree program in healthcare administration or you are considering the field, you may be wondering what you need to do to find a job. There are several ways that you can find a job in healthcare administration, including networking, volunteering, and starting with an entry level position.

Keep reading to learn how to find a job in healthcare administration.

Part 1: Getting Ready to Apply

1. Research jobs. One of the best ways to get your job search started is to do some research. Use career search databases to find out what types of healthcare administration jobs are available in your area (or in areas you would like to live). As you conduct your research, think about which jobs match up with your qualifications. Save jobs that are appealing to you and make notes about which ones you like best and why.

• Healthcare administration jobs are available at hospitals, nursing homes, research facilities, insurance companies, and within the private sector. Think about what type of organization you would like to work for as you conduct your research on available jobs.

2. Apply for a professional membership. Consider joining the American Association of Healthcare Administration Management (AAHAM), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or the Association for Healthcare Administration Professionals (AHCAP) to enhance your qualifications. Joining these associations will enhance your resume and it will also provide you with networking opportunities, access to a members only job lists, and access to webinars.

3. Find out if you need a certification for the job you want. Most healthcare administration positions do not require any sort of certification, but there are a few exceptions. If a special license is required for the position, the job posting should include this information. You can also check your state’s requirements since they may vary from state to state.

4. Create a resume. Since your resume is the first thing that employers will see, it is important to make sure that it makes you look like a great job candidate. Your resume should include your contact information, a brief paragraph that summarizes your qualifications, a list of your professional experience, education, special certifications and licenses, and professional organization memberships.

• Look at sample resumes to get ideas for how to format your own resume.
• If you are a recent graduate of a healthcare administration program, visit your university’s career center to get help with writing your resume.

5. Network as often as possible. Talk to people who are already employed as healthcare administrators to expand your network. Ask former professors about events for healthcare administrators and attend conferences relevant to your intended profession. For example, you could attend the American Association of Healthcare Administration Management’s National Institute.

• Another good way to network is to ask your friends and family if they know anyone who works in healthcare administration. If so, ask to be introduced to the person so that you can talk to them about their job.
• When you network, don’t ask people if they can help you get a job, just try to get to know them. Ask how they like their job, how long they have been there, and what advice they have for someone who is just starting out. Be kind, polite, and gracious when people share their knowledge with you.
• Keep in mind that making these types of connections may not lead to a job right away, but it may be part of the reason why you get a job offer later on.

Part 2: Searching for a Job in the Medical Field

1. Learn about the variety of positions available to healthcare administrators. While many hospital jobs are available to healthcare administrators, you can also look for jobs with other healthcare providers in your area. Healthcare administrators can be found at any of the following medical services:

• Group physician practices
• Clinics
• Nursing homes and elder-care facilities
• Home healthcare organizations
• Outpatient care centers
• Mental health organizations
• Rehabilitation centers

2. Search for jobs. There are thousands of healthcare administrator positions available across the United States, but it can sometimes be a challenge to find a job in your area. Watch your local paper’s classified section for information on local jobs and check with local healthcare providers, such as hospitals and clinics. You should also perform daily searches of job search websites to see what jobs are available in your area.

• Check healthcare providers’ websites. Some businesses are large enough that they post a "Jobs" or "Careers" section on their websites. You can often apply for these jobs by sending your resume and cover letter directly to the company’s hiring manager. If no jobs are available, check again in a week or two.
• Visit large job search sites. While the jobs listed on Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, SimplyHired and Craigslist are highly competitive, they will show the high profile jobs in your area. On some of these websites, you can request to receive alerts about relevant jobs so that you can apply to them as soon as they are posted.

3. Apply for entry-level healthcare administration jobs. If you are a recent graduate of a healthcare administration program, you may need to spend some time working in an entry level position to gain experience and additional skills before you can land your dream job. Keep in mind that starting with an entry level position is a normal part of professional development. These jobs are often easier to get and you may advance quickly depending on your abilities.

• To find entry level positions, look for job postings that include terms like “assistant” in the job titles.

4. Seek promotions and pay raises. You may be able to get promotions within your organization if there are enough opportunities. If there are not enough advancement opportunities and you no longer feel challenged, you can look for higher level positions with other companies after spending a few years in an entry-level position. Check the job posting descriptions to determine whether or not you are qualified for a higher level position.

5. Look for jobs in the private or corporate sector. If you prefer to work in a nontraditional healthcare setting or if you are having trouble finding jobs in traditional settings, consider applying to work for a private organization. Depending on your personal career interests, you can focus on business administration or conducting scientific research into the effectiveness of medications. Healthcare administration graduates are qualified to find jobs with:

• healthcare management companies
• pharmaceutical companies
• biotechnology companies

6. Consider working with a healthcare administration recruiter. Healthcare recruiters can help healthcare administrators find good jobs, but this option is not for everyone. Entry level healthcare administrators are better off seeking a job on their own, but experienced healthcare managers may benefit from the help of a healthcare recruiter. If you are an experienced healthcare administrator seeking a management position or if you are a recent MBA graduate seeking employment in an upper level healthcare administration position, then a healthcare recruiter might be able to help you.

7. Consider consultancy. After establishing yourself in the field, you might consider becoming a healthcare consultant. You can use your expertise to advise healthcare providers on management techniques and advanced training for staff members. This employment option will require you to work on a project by project basis, which can be exciting. But keep in mind that you will also have to seek out clients, which can be stressful for some people.

Part 3: Getting an Education in Health Care

1. Earn a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration or a related field. To have a career as a healthcare administrator, you will need to earn a degree in healthcare administration or in a related field. Healthcare administrations students take courses in public health, health services, and health administration. Depending on what type of healthcare administrator you would like to be, you may also need to seek additional training.

• Look for a program certified by the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration (AUPHA). AUPHA-certified programs have high standards, including a requirement that their students complete a 120 hour internship in a healthcare setting.

2. Begin an internship while in college. Completing an internship is essential for getting hands on job experience and finding a job after you graduate. Some programs even require students to complete an internship before they can receive their degrees. Discuss your internship options with your academic advisor or the internship coordinator at your university.

3. Consider a graduate degree. While there are many entry level positions available to healthcare administrators with bachelor’s degrees, a healthcare administrator with a master’s degree can seek higher level positions, such as healthcare manager or director positions. Some upper level healthcare administration jobs may even require applicants to have a master’s degree to advance.

• Keep in mind that an advanced degree may not stand in for practical experience. Even with a master’s degree you may still need to start out with an entry level position if you do not have much work experience. Therefore, you might consider waiting to obtain a master’s degree until you have 5 or more years of work experience in healthcare administration.

4. Volunteer your services. To get your foot in the door with an organization that you’d like to work for after graduation, you can also consider volunteering. Taking a few hours out of your week to volunteer at a hospital or long-term care facility that you’d like to work at someday will provide you with opportunities to demonstrate your skills and get to know some people who already work there. The impressions and contacts you make may help you to land a job with the facility later on.

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