Follow up---Searching for Health Care Job (Raleigh: sales, chapel, school)

[kaymay]

Hello,
I posted about a week ago about health care jobs in the chapel hill area. I am looking at duke and unc to see what they have. I do not have a medical background but do have a degree and have significant experience. I am moving down to NC to go to school for nursing.

Anyways..I did some research and wanted to see if anyone knew of any job fairs that were coming up in the near future for these type of jobs. I really would like to get my resume out there and it seems no one is looking at it now with no background directly in the field and no connections to either site. If anyone knows where and when the next one is that would be great.
I really would like to get started at a position this summer if possible.

THank you again for your advice...

[VSB]

I'm not sure if someone mentioned it to you during your previous post, but I would suggest perusing Craigslist. If you haven't heard of it, Craigslist is essentially a free, online classifieds website (along with personals, non-auction sales of personal items, message forums, et cetera).

The link to Craiglist Raleigh's "Health Care/Medical" jobs section is HERE.

What is your ultimate goal in healthcare? If you are looking at eventually becoming a registered nurse (RN), you might start out as a "CNA" or certified nurses assistant. I don't believe the job pays all that well, but there are bound to be innumerable jobs, it gets you into the hospital and you can see for yourself whether you'd like to continue your education for something more . . .

You could easily complete a CNA course before summer and be ready to work. You'll have to check locally what the state's requirements are.

Being a CNA isn't glamorous, but as a health care provider, I can tell you that a good CNA can make a tremendous difference in the lives of patients as well as in the lives of other health care providers.

[VSB]

Kaymay,

I guess I should have reviewed your initial post before replying. It sounds like a CNA may not be for you since you're already planning on getting an RN and then seem intent on a Master's degree. In my opinion, I would contact the HR department at area hospitals to see if they are hiring, and if so, for what positions?

It's going to be tough, however, if you just say something like, "what do you have available?" How can the skills you have NOW (i.e. without the RN degree) best be used? What were you doing in your previous work life that would translate well to the hospital environment?

I find US News and World Report's Hospital Database useful. They borrow data from the American Hospital Association and you can search by zip code, state, specialty, et cetera. It will bring up a list of hospitals along with links to basic hospital information as well as the hospital's website. Many larger hospitals have links to their HR department as well as job listings online. Most clinical jobs (CNA, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology technician, et cetera) will require previous training. Thus, unless you're interested in doing additional training to your future RN (such as the CNA training I referred to earlier), then it sounds like you'll need to do something clerical/business oriented. Hospitals are businesses like everyone else so they have a need for all the same stuff in the realm of administration . . .

The US News hospital search engine is HERE and this is a link to Duke's HR page (for example). Click on "external candidates" and perform a search based on your interests. You can limit the search to Duke's Health Facilities (in the appropriate box) rather than the "University." You can also submit your resume online. Most hospitals of reasonable size will be similar. There are lots and lots and lots of jobs. It's a matter of finding something that fits you.

DUKE LINK HERE.

Good luck.