Some Guidelines for Job Hunting in HA--Part 1

Think. Make an honest evaluation of the abilities you have acquired as a student. For example, how strong are your skills in reading, writing and speaking? How strong are your "administrative" skills--that is, how well can you organize, work well with people, handle financial matters, tackle new problems and solve them creatively? How comfortable are you with computers? In your self-evaluation, be sure to include any skills you have gained from an internship or actual job experience.

Be honest with yourself about your weak points, too. It is better to have some knowledge of the areas in which you need to improve before a potential employer asks about them.

Think. Where, in geographic terms, do you want a job? Inside or outside Alabama? Do you want to be in a major urban center, a smaller urban area, or a rural area? (Job competition will probably be greatest for positions in major metropolitan areas; remember, also, that smaller urban and rural areas are most in need of health services and often can provide non-monetary benefits in terms of prestige and life-style which major metropolitan areas may not, despite higher salaries there.)

Think. What do you want out of a job, anyway? Is your chief concern interesting associates, a challenge, the comfort of routine, high salary (how high?), job security, fringe benefits, or what? Setting out these priorities in your mind will also aid you in evaluating potential positions.

Think. Do you have any friends or relatives working in health services? Even if your contact is not himself/herself associated with hiring for the health services organization, perhaps he/she can at least keep you informed about potential openings or introduce you to someone responsible for personnel matters. If you have had an internship, or a part-time job in health care, did you establish any contact which might be useful? Any personal contacts you have may lead you to employment, so make use of them.