However, while starting a second career does potentially constitute the end of an era, it can also signal the beginning of a more fulfilling life for yourself. While stability is important, so too is the pursuit of happiness in your career, and being stuck in a job that grants you no satisfaction is not good for you or anyone you might provide for.

Therefore, today we’re talking about how to prepare yourself for a career in healthcare as a second career.

Unlearning Old Biases

Starting a second career constitutes a very turbulent life shift. After having spent years, if not decades, building up your knowledge, expertise, professional network, and seizing opportunities in your primary career, it can feel like you’re “throwing it away”, giving up on it, or simply that you’re too old to “start over.”

The first step in preparing yourself for a second career (especially in healthcare) is to examine what you know of yourself, what is missing from your current work life that is unfulfilling to you, and what careers may be able to offer that to you. Make sure that this is what you want. The healthcare industry is demanding and intense, and being part of it will mean that you’re actively a key part of crisis situations.

The second is to be gentle with yourself about “giving up” your first career to embark on this new one. There is no such thing as an expiration date when it comes to seeking work that makes you happy. There is only what drives you in your career, and the work you’re willing to put in.

Education and Building Skills

After you’re sure that you want to go into healthcare, the next thing to take care of is research around what kind of healthcare you want to go into. Do you want to be a doctor? A nurse? Surgeon? Do you want to offer psychotherapy to people in mental distress, or maybe you want to become a physiotherapist?

The healthcare industry is huge, with tons of kinds of work, qualifications, and disciplines. Before you go studying your new vocation, research to make sure that you understand what area of healthcare you want to go into, then research more to ensure that your study pathway will take you where you need to go.

After you have narrowed down your educational pathway to your career in healthcare, then comes work like industry placements and licensing. The healthcare industry is a sector where not only are you required to have a degree that qualifies you for the industry, but you also have a certain number of hours of active work, and you are licensed. All states have different laws concerning licensing, so be sure to familiarise yourself with the licensing laws of your state.

Ensure That There is Opportunity

Our position is to find a career that makes you happy. That’s the foremost thing. If you’re looking at starting a new career, it’s likely because there was some sense of unfulfillment in your first one. We don’t want you to jump ship just to end up in a similar doldrums.

But if you’re not sure what healthcare sector would make you “happy”, it may be worth looking at a different rubric. As we said earlier, healthcare is a massive industry, and there are different levels of opportunity for different kinds of healthcare workers. A state may have a surplus of surgeons, but a deficit of nurses.

So, if you’re having trouble deciding which healthcare industry to start in, maybe familiarise yourself with what workers your state needs and see if that scratches your itch.

Take Your Time

While we are aware that the interim between getting your education and getting established in your new healthcare career may be a stressful time, it’s important to enjoy the journey. Revel in the acquisition of new knowledge, in the chase of the dream, the people you meet, and the skills you attain.

This new path in your life represents you truly investing in your own happiness, with intention and dedication. That, in and of itself, is worthy of celebration. And though there may be temptation to overwork yourself, or to select the fastest route to your qualification, it’s important to remember that this will be a long process.

Take your time, rely on your support network, take every opportunity available that won’t burn you out, and remember that you’re doing this for you.