Career Exploration

3RNET – Fast, Free Search for Health Care Jobs in Illinois – Search Illinois health care jobs in rural and underserved areas. Loan repayment may be available. Enjoy a fantastic quality of life and rewarding work. Get started with this easy-to-use job search tool. Subscribe to be emailed new opportunities that meet your professional and personal needs.

CareerOneStop – This is the main U.S. Department of Labor site for career exploration, training and jobs. It helps you conduct self-assessments and learn about different careers to determine what kind of career will fit you best, research career settings and set career goals. Health career-specific information is available, including employment trends, educational requirements and certification/licensure requirements. The site also includes a tailored job search engine.

ExploreHealthCareers.org – This site provides information about a wide variety of health professions. It includes job descriptions, salary information, educational requirements, and job outlook, as well as links to health-related education/training programs, financial aid resources, specialized learning opportunities, and current issues in health care.

Health Career Info Sheets – In choosing a health care career, it is useful to have a mental picture of its day-to-day activities, including typical duties and responsibilities, patient interaction opportunities, paperwork requirements and opportunities to work on a healthcare team. These information sheets, updated annually by the Northwest Illinois AHEC team, are essentially profiles of almost every health care-related type of job, from athletic trainer to veterinary technician.  Sheets are also available for the health professions that require graduate or professional degrees. The information sheets list the educational requirements for the career, where training is available, employment and salary outlook in Illinois and associated professional organizations. Browse the sheets.

Health Care Pathway – Health care is one of the fastest-growing industries today, creating an abundance of jobs and careers. This website organizes career information into five broad categories: direct patient care, imaging and diagnosis, health care facility support, informatics and business, or research and development. Career information is also presented by the educational level required for entry and advancement. State-specific information on major employers and the fastest growing health careers is also included. Once you have decided which pathway is optimal, energy and focus can be directed towards preparing for a career within that pathway.

Counseling Degree Guide – A comprehensive resource for exploring degrees, careers, schools, licensing requirements, salary and job outlook, and advice from working professionals in the counseling field, the site provides information by degree type and degree level, as well as details about counseling license requirements in all 50 states.

O*NET Online – Sponsored by the Employment & Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), O*NET OnLine is their sentinel repository for information on the labor force. It contains information about requirements, certifications, salary predictions and projected future demand for each occupation that has been given an official DOL number and definition. Apprentice information is also available. It also features specialized information for veterans.

Professional Organizations

Professional societies and associations in your field of interest are key both to getting started in your career and to staying connected to opportunities for growth. Organizations can be structured around a specialty, such as anesthesiology or pediatric dentistry; a condition, such as diabetes or oncology; or an issue of public health concern, such as water quality or health care access. Some organizations are state- or community-based societies. A list of organizations that may be useful in your career is maintained by the Northwest Illinois AHEC team. The list includes key government agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Public Health and Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Browse professional organizations.

Transfer Resources

Transferring schools can be a complicated process. Many schools have specific transferring procedures, known as articulation agreements, with individual schools. If you are thinking of transferring, start the process by contacting the school you wish to attend. If you want to transfer individual courses into the school you are currently attending, start by contacting your current school. The following resources provide general assistance.

iTransfer – iTransfer is a portal for transfer assistance in the state of Illinois for students seeking to transfer between higher education institutions in Illinois. The site is co-managed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board. You can browse this site to find answers to common transferring requirements.

Transferology – Transferology is a membership-based, nationwide, web-based transfer information system. Many Illinois institutions belong to Transferology, and access is free for students considering transferring schools or wishing to transfer individual course credits.

Loan Forgiveness

Health Professions Employment and Student Loan Forgiveness – Download our guide to loan forgiveness programs for recent health professions graduates. Based on and info-rich webinar, the pdf has links to all relevant resources and screenshots illustrating how to use the HRSA job connector, a key tool in locating an employment opportunity that will make you eligible for the forgiveness programs.