5 Steps to Transition into Healthcare Without any Experience

The world is cautiously reopening as Covid-19 vaccinations roll out and restrictions lift. Ready to get back to normal, businesses are seeking talent to meet increasing demands in the hospitality, healthcare, education, and facilities industries. Simultaneously, workers are reimagining what their professional futures look like. The desire for flexible work reigns supreme across industries, and many workers are taking this opportunity to transition into new careers.  

Marcella Barry, SPHR-SCP, is Chief People Officer at Jitjatjo.  She leads all aspects of people and culture for Jitjatjo’s team of 10,000+ employees. She has dedicated her 20-year professional career to developing people and leading human resources at top-performing organizations. 

Through Jitjatjo’s use of Empathic Intelligence, we identified a trend of talent transitioning from hospitality into healthcare. Not only does the platform give Talent the work flexibility needed, but it also allows them to enhance their skill sets. She offers some tips and tricks for workers to navigate their next steps towards transitioning into healthcare. If you are looking to make a career change into a new industry, Marcella’s tips below will help you on your journey. For those just starting to think about a career change or who had not previously considered it, read on to learn if a healthcare career may be right for you. 

‍Why are workers transitioning out of hospitality?

Quite simply, it’s been a hard year. There are many great reasons to work in hospitality, but with a global pandemic bringing hospitality to a halt, some have taken this time to consider alternate career paths.  

Employers in hospitality, healthcare, and education are planning for a changing workplace, many moving to a temporary labor model that allows for an easier recovery transition. HospitalityNet reported in early 2021 that the restaurant industry ended 2020 $240 billion below what the National Restaurant Association estimated. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, that is a sizable gap, particularly when the hospitality industry accounts for a Global GDP contribution of 3.5-4%, according to The World Travel & Tourism Council. 

It’s no wonder, then, that hospitality jobs are down and some workers are seeking a way out. While the leisure and hospitality sector added 176,000 jobs in March 2021, there remains a lot of uncertainty. McKinsey reported “the largest negative impact of the pandemic to fall on workers in foodservice and customer sales and service roles” and went on to share that “roughly half of [workers] overall will need new, more advanced skills to move to occupations one or even two wage brackets higher.”  There is no requirement to rehire as long as there is no contractual obligation that would require the former employee to be reinstated, according to the National Law Review.

With those news reports, Talent who had been contemplating transitioning into healthcare from hospitality saw new opportunities ahead.  

How Does Gig Work Support a Career Transition? 

The pandemic has increased the demand for workers in the healthcare space exponentially. For example, in New York City, demand for certified nursing assistants rose 25% last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Much like hospitality, there are positions available for all education levels, making it a great transition tract for nearly anyone.  

On-demand work, also known as temp work or gig work, has also increased the pandemic. Gig work is defined as short-term, temporary work with independent contractors. At Jitjatjo, temporary work offers Talent on-demand work in hospitality, healthcare, education, and facilities industries.  There are many reasons people choose flexible, temporary work or gig work - and likewise many reasons businesses utilize temporary labor. Uber and Handy, like Jitjatjo, are examples of businesses offering flexible work in the gig economy.

It can be challenging to transition into a new industry as many employers require experience within that industry.  This is where the gig economy steps in. By opting to transition into a new industry through flexible work, the timetable for testing the waters in this new space is in your own hands. There is an opportunity to build up your resume on your own timeline without fully sacrificing other means of income or life commitments. 

For those choosing to transition into healthcare from hospitality, a time like now with job shortages may be the perfect opportunity. While furloughs or layoffs are in no way ideal, individuals can leverage this resume gap to their benefit. With the pandemic impacting the entire globe, resume gaps don’t currently require much explanation, as employers understand the impact the pandemic has had on many industries. However, it is important to explain what has been done during this time to learn something new to show that they have not sat idle. Jitjatjo offers Talent the ability to take on gigs that adds to their skill set.

Jitjatjo is a great way to earn and learn new skills. It’s a flexible platform that supports the opportunity to try new things on your own terms, gaining insight into new industries in ways that are otherwise quite difficult. Through Jitjatjo’s deep commitment to Human Betterment, the continued creation of opportunity for the world’s next-generation workforce, Jitjatjo is transforming the way people work, maximizing productivity, and empowering lifestyle choices for people around the world.  The Jitjatjo platform helps people reach their potential.  

What are the steps to transition from hospitality into healthcare? 

There is a lot of upside for workers as it relates to temporary employment in a new industry. As an employee, it gives you firsthand experience to assure that this is the industry for you.  And it also is an opportunity to build up your resume on your own terms. Don’t wait, take action now so the market doesn’t outpace you and your skills! Businesses are looking for efficiencies! 

Here’s what you can do now to start your transition into healthcare from hospitality: 

1. Identify the skills needed.  Talent should learn what skill sets are required in their target industry, and then they should build on those skills.  
2. Reskill.  Learning new skills is an ongoing process and one that will catapult with on-the-job training. However, there are things you can do now to jumpstart your evolution. Jitjatjo has supported talent in reskilling since its inception and over the past year through a variety of training.  While there are always good jobs for good talent, the projections about reskilling are very clear: workers must evolve, especially if a career transition is in your future.  The  World Economic Forum states that 50% of employees will need reskilling by 2025, and Future of Job survey estimates that 40% of workers will require reskilling of six months or less. 
3. Update your resume.  Make a list of all your strengths. Demonstrate on your resume how you have taken on new challenges and have been able to deliver results. Words like flexibility, adaptive, and agility are words to demonstrate Talent’s ability to learn new skills and take on challenges that help them develop in new pathways.  
4. Build your healthcare experience. Ultimately you’ll need real-life experience in the healthcare space to transition out of hospitality.  Apply to Flex by Jitjatjo for gig work and temporary work opportunities in healthcare, where you will gain necessary skills and build your resume while finding out for yourself if this is the career path for you. 
5. Start gaining valuable experience immediately through flexible work and earn instant pay! The number of gigs is increasing every week now, as more people are getting vaccinated and living their lives again! We have also expanded the type of temporary work we offer and the locations of gigs.

Conclusion

Jobs are coming back and now is a great time to transition into healthcare from hospitality without any experience. Flexible work in the gig economy offers an easy way for Talent to test out a new experience and to be in command of their own schedule in doing so. Being flexible and adaptable will help make the transition easier, showing you are willing to build the skills necessary to make the career transition.

Want to learn more?

Interested in applying? Click here to apply today!

Already have Flex downloaded? Open Flex now and enter your availability to see flexible work opportunities currently available to you: https://jitjatjo.link/availability 

If you’ve already completed your COVID-19 Vaccination, you can add that to your profile here: https://jitjatjo.link/accreditations 

We would also love to learn about the additional skills/interests you have so we can expand your skills profile to open up more gigs. Let’s chat via the Flex app.

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