How to Find a Job in Healthcare Administration

culled from:wikihow

Healthcare administrators are professions who organize and manage medical companies, practices, training programs and government agencies. In order to fill senior positions in the medical community, they must be highly educated and trained, holding both bachelor's and master's degrees. They will need to gain work experience providing medical services and managing employees. Advancing your administrative career also requires community involvement, professional memberships and networking within the healthcare community. This article will tell you how to find a job in healthcare administration.

Method 1 of 2: Health Administrator Education

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Gain a bachelor's degree in public health, health services or health administration. The industry is placing an increasing demand for healthcare administrators. A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement, but you may be encouraged to study for a graduate degree.

• Consider choosing a program that is certified by the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration (AUPHA). Although this is not required, you can leave college with an extra accreditation.
• Take business courses during college. A minor in business administration will help you to manage budgets, health insurance information and more. Healthcare administrators are also business professionals who need to make budget cuts and improve costly services.

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   Begin an internship while in college. Look for an administrative assistant intern position with a hospital, clinic, health insurance company or government health agencies. The type of internship you choose will give you the necessary experience to seek an entry-level job.
   • Interning is an ideal place to develop valuable health administration contacts. Try to develop professional relationships with colleagues and superiors.
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   Consider seeking a graduate degree in healthcare administration. Administrators at large companies and hospitals possess this graduate degree. You can also focus on healthcare policy for an advanced job with healthcare policy.
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   Volunteer between internships, semesters and jobs. Working even a few hours as a volunteer every week will allow you to network and gain valuable experience. The amount of experience you have in health services will affect how impressive your resume is.

Method 2 of 2: Health Administrative Jobs

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   Create a resume. A proper resume should contain contact information, an executive summary, work experience, education and accreditation or memberships, generally in that order.
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   Get into contact with your contacts in health administration. Networking may allow you to hear of job openings in a timely manner. You will also be more likely to get a job when the agency or company already knows your work ethic.
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   Contact your alumni association and professors. Contact these people and ask about job openings or recommendations. They may be able to introduce you to hiring managers.
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   Check hospital, insurance company, clinic, hospital supply and other healthcare websites. These businesses are large enough that they usually post a "Jobs" or "Careers" section on their website. If the name of the hiring manager is listed, send them an email with your resume and a general cover letter for future positions.
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   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. Set up a daily alert for applicable jobs so that you can apply immediately.
   • Entry-level healthcare administration jobs include office managers at clinics or medical practices, an administrative medical assistant, an executive assistant for a nursing or medical student program, a staff auditor, a business development associate for a pharmaceutical company or health insurance company.
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   Apply for and acquire a state license. Most states require that healthcare administrators and service providers pass practical and written tests. Check with your state licensing board to learn about the requirements.
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   Apply for a professional membership. The American Association of Healthcare Administration Management (AAHAM), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or the Association for Healthcare Administration Professionals (AHCAP) are good choices. Joining these associations will allow you to find training, access specialized job search engines and meet other industry professionals.
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   Seek promotions and pay raises. Healthcare administrators may need to move to different practices or companies in order to take on greater responsibility and more advanced supervisory positions. After 1 to 2 years of experience in an entry-level position, you should keep your eyes out for other jobs.
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   Consider working with a healthcare administration recruiter. Seek recommendations from friends for local recruiters. You can gain the attention of recruiters by seeking extra training and going above and beyond the job descriptions.
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    Join community organizations. It is important for high-level health administrators to be an active part of the community. You can join service, health or other organizations that provide non-profit services to the community.
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    Embrace new methods, trends and technology. The most successful healthcare administrators are on the cutting edge of both business and health services. Propose innovative ideas and do extensive research.