At a cross roads with my career path. Should I go the business route, or go healthcar

[Alyosha]

Hi there! I have posted a similar thread to this one months ago, but I realized that my questions were too vague and required some more detail, so I did research on jobs and career fields that interested me to go further into detail.

 

I'd like to start off with where I am at as well as my schooling background, then list the options that I have found appealing.

I finished my associates degree at a community college in 2019, and I plan to continue my education at a university. I am majoring in business administration, and I have been accepted into the university of my choice. I am set to attend in the fall (if things are well enough in society hopefully).

As of the last few months, I have been seriously considering doing a 180 and looking into a whole other career path. Particularly in the health care field. I work as a delivery driver, and deliver food to many medical facilities. I have always admired the environment of the health care industry, as well as their job availability. I have also admired the work of a health care provider, especially in these trying times. Being in this industry would make me feel as if I was contributing something positive to the world. And on top of that I'd get decent pay and benefits.

So I decided to go to Onet (a career info website) and find as many jobs within my current degree, as well as health care jobs that sound appealing. All of the jobs I found appealing are as follows:

Business/marketing jobs:

-Marketing manager

- Fundraiser

-Marketing strategist

-Public relations fundraising managers

-Security management specialist

Healthcare jobs:

-Radiation therapist

-Xray Tech

- medical sonographer

-Nuclear medicine

-Occupational therapy assistant

The Pros:

All of these jobs appeal to me in many common ways. All of these jobs make at least 60k in my state, which is my ideal minimum financially. They all had some what appealing job descriptions. I'd prefer the parts of these career paths that deal with people one on one. Being a marketer allows me to work with others on the business side, and all of the medical jobs do the same.

On top of that, all of these career paths would require just two more years of schooling. I could either finish my bachelors degree on the business side for a job in that field, or I could enroll in a 2 year program for all of the healthcare jobs listed. I'd ideally be spending the same amount of time within either path I decide to take.

The Cons:

On the business side, my path seems wide open. A business degree can land me many different jobs. This is a double edged sword in my eyes, as it makes me nervous that I don't have a clear cut idea of where I'd end up. The idea of business can seem kind of cold and unfulfilling. There could be jobs available to market for helpful organizations such as Red Cross, but having my pick of the litter within business jobs isn't a guarantee.

I know that most people who get a job after college change jobs within 5 years, and I have a feeling that finding my niche in business would take some adjusting. And at the same time, would I have the drive and energy to compete in the cut throat business world? I have no clue honestly.

With healthcare, it's a bit different. I would choose a specific program to enroll in and have a clear idea of what I'm getting into. If I go to school for nuclear medicine, that is what I'll be doing. If I decide to be an occupational therapy assistant, than I know I'll do that. There isn't as much grey area in my career path as with business. And that is a pro of course.

The con of health care for me is the schooling aspect. Science has always been my weakest subject followed by math. I have to work incredibly hard to pull off a good grade. Finishing the required science for my associates degree was the most difficult part for me. I remember being straight up lost in biology and eventually dropping the class. It literally felt like they threw us to the wolves as far as learning what was required for the test. I ended up deciding to take astronomy, which was still really really tough and obviously not medical related.

On top of that, I have a friend who was majoring as a physician assistant, but decided to drop that major, because the shadowing was so boring. So is the idea of being in the health care field more of a romantic idea than a fulfilling reality?

In Conclusion:

I apologize for the wall of text. I just wanted to convey my career endeavors as clearly as possible. I plan to make this decision by the end of the month in order to prepare myself for the fall. If anyone can give me some insight to this, I'd truly appreciate it.

[Bittu]

I'd say you answered your own question here, but fear is what stands in the way. I'm listening to my inner romantic recently, and things are looking really good for me.

I'd say go healthcare. That kind of intuition what you're getting is what you're looking for.

Have you read George Leonards book called Mastery? It's a short one and really explains what you should be looking for in your career.

You want to be extraordinary. And whatever you want to be extraordinary in, choose your passion. Because you're spending 8 hours a day for 50 years or so doing that shit. So if its healthcare for you, go for it!
 

I also recommend Leo's Life Purpose Course for you.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Bittu
typo

[Alyosha]

thank you! Ill check that book out

[Hello from Russia]

Consider niching down at healthcare for your business. You pretty much get the same benefits of working with those type of people but you're doing your thing.

To help you stretch the mind. I myself do Brand Design (i am graphic designer). At any time, with some effort and time put in I can elect to niche down and do branding and website projects only for the healthcare industry and help them with that. I can elect to make 90% of my projects to be for healthcare stuff! Speaking with all those people, being an expert of the industry, yet to still do brand identities that is a very artistic and expressive work at its nature (although it has a very distinct functional business angle, of course).

For now personally I am niched down at startups (although I plan to change that) and I basically hang around IT startup folks (Founders) and startups have a very specific subculture, where all people care about +- mostly the same stuff and share +- many o the same values. I am sure, healthcare subculture is very similar in that sense this is probably what you love about it.

What I am pretty much saying is, to work with doctors, you don't have to become a doctor, you can become whoever you want that works with doctors. Your Zone of Genius ( Your Craft) and your Industry (Your Niche) can be different things.

I hope my perspective helped you

Edited May 13, 2020 by Hello from Russia

[Alyosha]

@Hello from Russia Thats a great perspective and ideally what I'd want to do if I go the business route. I guess my question is how available that would be in reality. Will I have the choice to find that nich? Or will the company that hires me put me where they need me? 

 

Thanks for taking your time to share! 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Alyosha

[Hello from Russia]

21 minutes ago, Alyosha said:

@Hello from Russia Thats a great perspective and ideally what I'd want to do if I go the business route. I guess my question is how available that would be in reality. Will I have the choice to find that nich? Or will the company that hires me put me where they need me? 

 

Thanks for taking your time to share! 

Well, one beauty of entrepreneurship is that everything depends on you! You can come up with a great product or service that these guys need a lot and ship it better than others in your market or even something completely unique that you have no competition at all

The latter can be achieved as easy as through branding and positioning means (here comes brand strategy). For example, how many transportation companies are out there? A shit load of them. Now, how many of them are specifically focused on a healthcare niche? Way less. Now, how many of them are specifically focused on carrying the complicated equipment i.e. some reagents that need special care while transporting (I just came up with it)? Even less so. It's almost the same as companies that focus only on ART transportation, lol (Original Art takes so much care because it is so fragile).  You can spot these opportunities and see what you'd like to do.

My example with transporting reagents might sound pretty complex but it doesn't need to be. Im sure there is a ton of ways to serve this industry. As a more simple example imagine becoming a stress therapist for overburnt doctors. These guys have very specific anxieties and worries! Probably can treat it with some trauma-release techniques and maybe by teaching them meditation\yoga or some breathing.