Do you live a healthy and active lifestyle? Why not turn your passion into a career?
People are now becoming healthier than ever; research from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that healthy eating is now well and truly on consumers’ agendas – with millennials leading the way.
Exercise is also big business, with revenue from gym memberships higher than ever, so opportunities to work in the health and wellness industries are plentiful.
In fact, there’s a wide range of different paths available that go way beyond the obvious personal training and dietitian routes. Here are some of the less obvious options that you may never have even heard of.
Health informatics
There are a number of jobs in health informatics that you may find ideal if you’re already working in a non-clinical role. In particular, if you’re working in IT or business analytics, it could be a natural step – combining your strongest professional skills with your passion for health and wellness.
The health-care system’s ever-increasing reliance on data and computer systems increases the need to effectively acquire, store, retrieve, and employ health-care information. This means that the number and range of available jobs in health informatics is likely to grow in the future. Currently, health informatics includes roles such as clinical systems specialist, software developer, and statistical methodology expert. If this sounds like something that you’d excel at, it’s worth considering gaining a professional qualification to help you land jobs in health informatics.
Dance movement psychotherapist
If you love helping people and like to keep active by dancing, then dance movement psychotherapist ticks both boxes.
One of the more progressive roles in the health industry, a dance movement psychotherapist is responsible for helping patients with physical, emotional, and mental health needs to achieve a healthy mindset through dance.
It’s a fun and rewarding career that’s particularly suitable if you’re a keen observationist; dance movement therapy is all about observing a patient’s physical movements to assess their emotional and mental state. Using this information, you would then help them to overcome difficulties through movement therapy and counseling. Obtaining a qualification in dance movement psychotherapy is your first step, followed by a placement on a dance therapy program.
Occupational hygienist
Do you often find yourself showing friends and family safer and cleaner ways of doing things? Perhaps you’re the one who’s always on top of keeping the work kitchen spotless? If that sounds like you, occupational hygienist could be the career change that you’ve been looking for.
A varied and practical role, occupational hygienists are responsible for monitoring and remedying chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial health issues in the workplace. The nature of their day-to-day tasks will vary depending on the industry and type of environment in which they work. However, in general, they are likely to perform regular surveys on the work environment and run one-on-one and group training sessions to ensure a happier and healthier environment for employees.
The great news is that you may not even need a degree to begin working as an occupational hygienist. While some organizations may favor candidates with a scientific degree, others will consider people with a wide range of backgrounds – some may even consider potential employees with a diploma.
Osteopath
Osteopathy is one of those occupations that you hear mentioned from time to time – but do you really know what one is or does? And do you know the difference between an osteopath and a physiotherapist?
The simple answer is that an osteopath treats patients with conditions as wide and varied as neck and back pain, digestive problems, sports injuries, and arthritis. Using physical therapy techniques such as deep stretching and massage, they may also recommend lifestyle changes to prevent recurring problems.
The main difference between an osteopath and a physiotherapist is that the latter will diagnose problems by observing physical movement of the body as a whole. Osteopaths, on the other hand, are more “hands on” – they diagnose primarily using touch and pressure on problem areas.
Most osteopaths are self-employed, so a good business head will be necessary, as well as completing a recognized osteopathy course.
Horticultural therapist
Plants have a strong association with human physical and mental wellbeing, so if you’re a health fanatic with a green thumb, horticultural therapist may be the right fit for you.
Using gardening and plants, a horticultural therapist helps people suffering from physical and mental illnesses. There are no set qualifications – a degree in any discipline will help. However, most potential employers are likely to favor candidates with some type of background in horticulture.
As you can see, there are a number of ways that you can turn your healthy lifestyle into a career. Why not look further into gaining the necessary qualifications?