W-5: Basic Information in Planning for a Health Career 1.1

• Once you've chosen and found the career that you want, it is necessary to consider the following steps for your own professional progress

  1. Make yourself indispensable

  2. Finding a mentor

  3. Training

  4. Succession planning

  5. Being open to transfers and lateral moves
• Make yourself indispensable


  Performing at your best is important in order to show that you are competent enough and worthy of any promotions or future roles in the workplace. Using your unique qualities to the fullest can also help fulfill your tasks at work.
• Finding a mentor


  A mentor is someone who can share essential knowledge and information that you need in your job. He/she can help you learn and succeed.
• Training


  Learning is a continuous process. That is why, it is necessary to undergo training programs in order to develop your full potential and discover other things that you can do to enhance your performance.
• Succession planning


  Refers to the recruitment, training, and development of employees in order to fill each key position within a company. By taking advantage of succession planning opportunities, your career development and progression shall be ensured.
• Being open to transfers and lateral moves


  You may ask for a transfer, even if it is a lateral move, if ever you would feel that you are no longer making any progress in your current role. In this way, you will gain wider and broader experience.
• Career Pathways


  Clusters of careers or occupations that are grouped because of shared skills
• Community health


  A field of healthcare and health education that focuses on promoting wellness and health for entire groups and the individuals that make up those groups. It addresses public health problems like access to healthy food, the spread of illnesses and public awareness of health risks.
• Issues that community health professionals address

  • Drug use
  • Disability management
  • Sanitation
  • Physical activity
  • Access to doctors
• Community health experts explore how attitudes within a community, cultural factors, income levels and environmental factors affect a population's health.

  There are many types of community health professionals that work together to research issues, educate community members and increase access to health resources within a certain area.
• Health science


  Degrees focus on how scientific principles of biology, chemistry and psychology can impact health for individuals and entire populations.
• Public health


  Degrees combine scientific subjects with practical public health planning tools. Courses cover topics like family planning, counseling services, non-profit management and health education.
• Health informatics


  Refers to the process of storing and accessing healthcare information. Teaches how to learn about your community, identify trends and improve communication among healthcare providers and patients.
• Nutrition


  One of the most important influencing factors for community health. Studying nutrition and dietetics can give you the foundational knowledge to improve eating habits and nutritional health in a community.
• Health education


  Majors learn the fundamentals of community health and how to effectively share them with other people. Focuses on psychological barriers to health behavior and strategies for informing the public about health topics.
• Sociology


  Majoring in sociology can provide a strong background to address the social aspects of community health. Focuses on how sociological factors can influence healthcare systems and institutional structures.