Healthcare industry is still a good source for work
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December 21, 2008
Rodney Alvarez sums up his job search this way: "Rough - real rough.''
A single father of three, Alvarez lost his job as a maintenance supervisor at a Hollywood luxury condominium more than a month ago, when the building cut its maintenance staff from seven to four.
''I'll do whatever I've got to do,'' he said last week, as he searched for jobs at a crowded state employment office in Hollywood.
With 182,000 South Floridians out of work - 70,000 more than this time last year - a lot of people are in the same boat as Alvarez.
The good news is that while you can't change the job market, you can upgrade your skills. And if you pick the right field, you will find work.
To help unemployed and underemployed South Floridians, The Miami Herald has identified nine occupations we're calling ''Hot Jobs.'' These are trades in which the government expects long-term employment growth, and wages are no less than $11 an hour -- and in most cases higher.
Most of the jobs can be had with a year of study or less at a public or private technical school, although we'll also look at a couple that call for more education.
And finally, we tried to choose jobs that offer some opportunity for advancement, either through experience or more schooling.
It wasn't easy to find jobs that met all of these criteria. In fact, we rejected some good-paying jobs in which the government foresees growth because employers and workers we talked with didn't agree with the official predictions. Others, like computer help-desk workers, we threw out because they looked too easy to ship overseas in a few years.
The list that remained includes: medical assistants, nuclear power plant operators, paralegals, pharmacy technicians, physical therapists, police officers, special education teachers, surgical technologists, and web application developers.
It's certainly not an exhaustive list. There are other occupations with growth opportunities out there if you look for them. But it should offer some ideas to get you started.
A longer list, compiled by state labor officials, can be found at www.whatpeopleareasking.com/hot_jobs.asp. For even more information, including typical job descriptions and wage information, go to www.bls.gov/OCO.
Many of the opportunities are in healthcare fields. According to state statistics, private hospitals alone have added 3,500 jobs in South Florida in the past year. And that doesn't include other types of healthcare employers, such as doctors' offices and public hospitals like Memorial Regional, Broward General and Jackson Memorial.
''Even with the recession, it's still a healthy competition for the limited pool'' of skilled workers, said Paul Hudgins, associate vice president for human resources at the University of Miami's medical school and healthcare system. "There's still a lot of jobs in healthcare.''
The biggest need is for registered nurses. An RN, fresh out of nursing school, earned around $23 an hour this year in South Florida, according to state estimates. Veterans can make $37 or more. And all it takes is a two-year degree - and the ability to handle a very demanding job.
Apparently, the news has spread: Some nursing schools have waiting lists, although the line gets shorter as new students realize the demands of the job and drop out.
Less known, however, is the need for other healthcare workers. Among the in-demand trades are X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants and physical therapy assistants.
Not sure which one to try? Consider starting as a patient-care associate in a hospital. This job requires only a few months of training, which state-sponsored technical schools offer for about $1,700. The work involves taking vital signs such as blood pressure, assisting doctors and nurses with medical procedures and handling grunt work like sponge-bathing patients.
The starting wage may be only around $10 an hour, but that can go up with experience, additional training and extra pay for those willing to work nights.
More importantly, these workers get to see who does what in the hospital. Large employers typically help pay tuition for workers who want to study for more advanced specialties, such as X-ray tech or registered nurse.
Not comfortable drawing blood or taking temperatures? Many healthcare companies also need people in administrative jobs like patient registration.
The healthcare industry is by far the largest source of new jobs these days, but other opportunities are out there.
For instance, some types of computer jobs are still in demand, such as specialists in Internet security, or creating software for the Web.
Another big growth field in the recession: bill collectors. Workers with a customer service background may want to give it a try, said Glenn Dubiel, a vice president for the Mergis Group staffing firm.
''There might be no need for customer service,'' Dubiel said, ``but there's something they can go and do that they might not have thought of.''
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