A Health care administrator is also referred to as a health care manager or a health services manager. The job of a health care administrator is to control the operations of a home care agency, health system, or a hospital. They are responsible for programs, budgets, facilities, relations with other companies, services, and management functions, which depends on the size and type of organization they are managing (Karuppan, Dunlap, & Waldrum, 2016). The work of a health administrator is different from that of clinicians. Health managers do not directly deal with patients on a daily basis. Instead, they assist in shaping policies, making changes where necessary, and leading a country’s health-related agencies in a manner that serves every patient by improving the care system.
Skills needed for a Future Career.
A health care management career does not require any license or certification. However, the least requirement is a bachelor’s degree in management of health or a degree program that is related to health management. Although a bachelor’s degree is required to obtain an entry-level career in this field, one is required to have an advanced degree to manage an entire facility or a department (Love & Ayadi, 2015). It is also possible for one to have a doctorate or a Master’s degree in health care administration. Experience in a nursing home, doctor’s office, or hospital is beneficial to a health manager’s career.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In addition to academic skills gained in class and the experience of a person on the job, some personal skills are essential for a health care manager. First, health care administrators should have excellent communication skills. As leaders, administrators should effectively communicate with other service providers who interact directly with patients since they provide a connection between the financial, business realities, and hands-on care of a hospital or a health care agency. Organization skills is another crucial personality of a health administrator (Karuppan, Dunlap, & Waldrum, 2016). To track the records, finances, regulations, and insurance changes, the manager should have strong organizational skills and be detail-oriented. The third skill is problem-solving. An administrator should always find a solution to any problem that arises in the workplace. Lastly, an administrator should be a critical thinker to analyze the situation in the facility, starting from billing processes and finances to record keeping.
Strategies to employ to gain the required Skills needed for Health Care Administration
Careers in health care administration require one to have leadership and professional skills, knowledge about delivery of health care and its financial structure, an in-depth understanding of medical care organizations and the medical language, and how these facilities are structured and operated (Love & Ayadi, 2015). I will ensure I have a graduate degree in health care management so that I have the option of choosing where I want to work, whether in a health care agency or a hospital. A Master’s degree will give me an upper hand when it comes to the job market. Besides, I will gain sufficient experience in the field. On top of the usual logging hours, I will join organizations in the industry, attend major events and conferences, and subscribe to health care and medical journals to obtain knowledge on the field. As a result, I will have additional expertise upon the on-the-job experience and course work.
How to project a Professional Image to Potential Employers.
The professional image of a person involves how you speak, interact with others, your body posture, and your dressing code. A positive professional image contributes to a person’s success in a career. First, I will ensure I dress in a professional manner so that I look like I belong to the company. It is also crucial to ensure my first impression says exactly what I want it to say. For example, it should show that I am competent, and I value integrity and honesty in my work. Besides, the body language I use to talk to my employer should inspire approachability and trust, since the job of an administrator is acting as a link between patients and clinicians. I need to develop a respectful, positive attitude when interacting with other people. I should be confident, friendly, and polite and avoid being cocky, annoying, and obsequious. Lastly, I will ensure my life on social media matches with my professional image ( Gorbatov, Khapova & Lysova, 2018 ). If I portray a positive professional model, I should also have a calm lifestyle that does not, for example, show am notorious or nagging.
Strategies to employ in searching for and finding a Job .
Searching for a job involves more than just applying for one and hoping that you will be called for an interview. The job market today is more competitive and network-drive. Therefore, to be successful in job seeking, I should develop a social presence to preferred organizations so that I stand out from the crowd ( Gorbatov, Khapova & Lysova, 2018 ). After identifying the specific companies that I am interested in, I will research their workplace culture and figure out the question they usually ask in interviews. It is also crucial to know their possible salary for health care administrators. I will then customize my resume according to each job. Having an achievement-oriented resume will ensure I have quantifiable achievements that are relevant to health care administration.
I should also build my brand that appears to employers when they search on the internet. A brand should showcase my passion and expertise online. Since most professionals use LinkedIn as their primary search engine, I will use it to my full advantage because it will position me to be found by employers. The last strategy I will use is building, cultivating, and utilizing my networks ( Gorbatov, Khapova & Lysova, 2018 ). Having a broad and robust network of contacts will help me uncover new opportunities in the field. Besides, it will assist me in strategizing my job search by knowing the trends in the market.
How to know my Brand and Strategies are effective.
The effectiveness of my brand can be measured through expanding my reach within the health care management market. The growth of an online network can be measured through the number of references and followers on social media. Valuable insights can also be reached by tracking your metrics and trackbacks. Besides, robust conversations between end users about your brand can help me know how effective it is ( Gorbatov, Khapova & Lysova, 2018 ). For example, they should give their feedback, references, and comment on your brand. Knowing my direction in my career is the foundation of an effective strategy. Being able to measure the success of my plan and creating a strong brand for myself involves having measurable and defined goals and adjusting them based on results of data analysis of how effective the strategy is in reaching the targeted employers.
References
Gorbatov, S, Khapova, S. V., & Lysova, E. (2018). Personal Branding: Interdisciplinary Systematic Review and Research Agenda. Front Psychol , 9, 2238. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02238
Karuppan, C. M., Dunlap, N. E., & Waldrum, M. R. (2016). Operations Management in Healthcare: Strategy and Practice . New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://lghttp.48653.nexcesscdn.net/80223CF/springer-static/media/samplechapters/9780826126528/9780826126528_chapter.pdf
Love, D. B., & Ayadi, F. M. (2015). Redefining the Core Competencies of Future Healthcare Executives under Healthcare Reform. Administrative Issues Journal , 2(2), 3-16. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/daef/c262e0d06f0c4c3ee8d00e7f6c1c5e60b9ba.pdf
