Job Prep: What Position Am I Qualified For?

3-Minute Read Sometimes searching for a new job can be a real confidence killer. Over and over again, you find a job that sounds great, something you could be really passionate about and enjoy doing. Then you read the required skills section. 6–8 years of experience? You’ve got 4. Proficient in quality improvement, patient-centered care, and evidence-based practices? You’ve heard of all three and dabbled a little here and there, but you’re not an expert. And so, thinking you don’t fit the criteria, you move on and end up applying for something else — something you’re not nearly as excited about. Then you do it again. And again. Until you eventually start questioning whether you have any useful skills at all. There’s a lot that goes into finding a new job, and one of the hardest parts of the whole process is determining what kind of position you are qualified for. Here are a few job search tips to help you narrow down your search and land an interview for your dream job.

Know Your Passions

If you have absolutely no idea what field you want to look into, start by making a list of what types of things interest you. What are a few of your favorite hobbies? What are you most passionate about? You can use this list to rule out any open positions in fields that don’t excite you.

If you are struggling to narrow it down, ask your friends and family for help. They often can recognize a few of your greatest strengths better than you can. Indeed also provides a few tips, including looking at your hobbies, childhood strengths, compliments frequently received, and pattern recognition. You can also try an online career quiz. They can be very useful in figuring out what kind of work environment would help you thrive.

Determine What Is Negotiable and What Is Required

Many job descriptions will have you asking yourself if you have the necessary career training to apply. We tend to be our own worst critics, and we end up talking ourselves out of taking a risk because we think we aren’t good enough. However, there are two types of skills listed on a job description: skills that are negotiable and skills that are required.

Negotiable skills are things that would be nice if you had, but they’re not deal-breakers if you aren’t 100% proficient. These types of skills can be “negotiated” meaning that you can still sell yourself really well as a person capable of learning and mastering those skills on the job. These often include familiarity with certain management programs and systems or even the number of years of experience.

Required skills are the exact opposite of negotiable. If you don’t have them, there is no way you will even land an interview. Required skills vary from job to job. For example, if you don’t have a law degree, you probably should not apply for an opening to be a lawyer at the firm down the street. Or if you’re hoping to kickstart a career as a registered nurse, highly specific training is probably your best path moving forward (as opposed to ill-defined, general education).

Remember the Human Factor

An important part of job prep is taking into account the human factor. We tend to think of the hiring process as a checklist of requirements. If you check all of the boxes, then you get a job interview. However, the hiring process is much more emotional. It comes down to living, breathing human beings.

Remember that humans want more than anything to make connections with other people. Your enthusiasm and passion for the job and/or company can go a long way in bridging the gap between your qualifications and their ideal candidate. Most companies would much rather have a person who is dedicated to their work, a great team player, and always lifting others up over someone who is an Excel wizard, but not very personable. This is particularly true in healthcare, where patience, empathy, and clear communication are all key traits any potential hire should possess. While applying and interviewing for new positions, don’t forget that your “soft skills” can make a big difference. Do your best to showcase some of those qualities in your cover letters and interviews.

What CareerStep Can Do to Help You

From interview preparation to career tips and training, CareerStep is here to help. We don’t just offer stellar healthcare training for individuals who would like to enter the medical field. We are also dedicated to helping ease your transition from training to the workforce.
We’ve been around a long time. As a trusted provider of online healthcare training, we’ve made a lot of connections throughout the industry. And we want to turn those connections into opportunities for our Learners. Train with us, and we’ll do everything we can to help you prepare for the job you both want and need. Interview tutorials, resume reviews — it’s all part of the package.

Let us help you get your dream job in the healthcare industry. Sign up today!