Health Science

Where do medical technologies and human touch intersect? They meet within the Health Science career cluster, which is a North Carolina and national growth industry. As the number of Americans over age 65 has grown and as more people survive serious injuries and other health issues, the need for healthcare has increased. If you want to work in a cluster that has good job growth, this cluster may be for you. It is expected to include the greatest number of new jobs in North Carolina over the next 10 years and about one-third of the state’s “hot jobs.”

Hospitals or doctors’ offices usually come to mind first when we think about healthcare workplaces, but home healthcare organizations and nursing homes also employ workers in this cluster. Some employees in this industry have 8-to-5 schedules, while others work less traditional shifts.

If you’re thinking about a healthcare career, many jobs require good math and science skills. Jobs in this industry include a wide variety of educational backgrounds, ranging from medical degrees to many jobs that require less than four years of college.

Core Skills

The following Core Skills are necessary for success in these occupations.

Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers
Judgment & Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one