The healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the largest industries in the Middle East region. There are a number of factors influencing the demand for healthcare services in Saudi Arabia such as the growing population, rising life expectancy and increasing per capita income of the people. Given these factors, the government and other concerned bodies have doubled their efforts to further develop the sector. One such effort is facilitating the entry of foreign direct investment in the healthcare sector of Saudi Arabia. With so much happening, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this is indeed a good time for professionals to enter this sector. Also, the demand for healthcare professionals is increasing in the country.
The healthcare industry needs not just doctors and nurses, but also the skilled professionals who can manage a healthcare unit. Realizing the potential of the industry, more and more people are now interested in getting into the sector to make the most of the increasing employment opportunities in the country’s healthcare industry. However, ask any health care management student and s/he will tell you just how difficult it is to land the first job in this sector. But it is not impossible. With some preparation, you can succeed. Here’s what you need to do:
Source: Pixabay
1. Familiarize yourself with your chosen field:
Your degree in Healthcare Management will prepare you for a variety of jobs. However, it is critical that you have clarity of what it is exactly that you would want to do in the long run. This means you need to narrow down your options. The best way to go about is to do an online research on all kinds of work a health care management student can do after s/he graduates. You can also take help from your professors and faculty members by asking them to share their knowledge on this particular subject.
2. Study the kind of jobs available:
Like we said earlier also, the scope of the healthcare industry is vast. However, it is possible that the requirement for professionals at a particular time may be limited to a few categories of jobs. Before you get into the whole job search business, spend some time on studying the job market requirement for professionals. Students who are still studying must ideally start this research three months from their final exams so that they know which jobs they want to apply for once done with their exams.
3. Enroll yourself for free online courses and seminars:
Just getting a master’s degree is not enough in the healthcare industry. Healthcare management students are expected to continuously work towards enhancing their skills. Now, it doesn’t mean you will have to go for expensive courses that are difficult to manage with work commitments. There are numerous healthcare courses and seminars available online for free that help explain in detail all that you need to know about the healthcare industry and what is expected of you as a professional.
4. Gain experience through multiple internships:
This is another great way of familiarizing yourself with your chosen field. The knowledge you gain while studying is undoubtedly important, but equally important is to gain some on-the-job experience. Utilize your summer breaks by interning with as many healthcare organizations as possible. Make sure that you get a taste of working in a variety of jobs. Putting this experience on your CV will help your candidacy stand out and your chances of getting noticed by prospective employers will increase drastically.
5. Be flexible and open to start from somewhere:
Even with a master’s degree, a health care management student may have to start his / her career with a lower-on –the-ladder job and work his / her way up. What’s important is to start from somewhere, work hard and build a good reputation in the organization. Also, stability is a highly appreciated quality in healthcare professionals by employers. So, don’t switch jobs too frequently.
If you follow these tips, you will see that finding your desired healthcare job in Saudi Arabia is not that tough after all.
All the best!
About Megha Raizada –
Megha Raizada is a professional writer working with the premium job portal Naukrigulf.com. She has a keen interest in the global job market, but also loves to keep a track of everything interesting happening around the globe. You can reach her at Twitter and Google+.