Yesterday I made a post offering to job search with people, and my goodness are there people out there looking for jobs!
So for those of you who are looking at jobs that require a low barrier to entry (i.e. don't require a degree or much training), I am here to offer some knowledge that might help you in your search.
Namely, the world of hospital jobs.
Hospital jobs have a lot of benefits: hospitals continue to hire even when other employers have stopped due to budget cuts. There are a lot of options for different hospital jobs, even when you don't have a degree, and they tend to pay better and have better working conditions than retail or food service. They have good benefits. Schedules come out far in advance and there are 24 hours worth of shifts to meet every scheduling need.
So here are some options:
Certified Nursing Assistant: This is the one everyone thinks of when they think of a low barrier hospital job. It's the job where you provide basic nursing care to patients. Things like bathing, grooming, dressing, and feeding patients, getting vitals, and cleaning and changing bed linens.
There will be butts that need wiped and there may be many other bodily fluids, so if that grosses you out and you don't think you could get used to it maybe try something else. But if old people trust you and you like doing things for other people when they can't do them themselves, this is a good option. This job is actually the highest barrier to entry on this list, as it requires 1-3 months of training, which costs about $1,000-3,000.
On your application, be sure to highlight any caregiving you have done, formally or informally (such as taking care of children or family members when they are sick).
Patient Sitter (also called a "Patient Companion"): Sometimes, people get confused while they're in the hospital. Maybe it's because they have dementia, maybe it's psych, maybe it's a reaction to a drug, maybe they have a UTI. They try to pull out their catheters and IV lines, or try to get out of bed when they shouldn't and could fall. Patient sitters literally sit with the patient and redirect them away from pulling at things and getting out of bed. Sometimes this is done in person 1:1, and sometimes it's done via a camera (where you as the sitter watch a number of patients at once and speak to them through a machine). Sometimes this job requires a CNA, but not always.
On your application, be sure to highlight whether people tend to trust you, any situations you have experienced that required you to demonstrate patience, and any times you have provided formal or informal care.
Transporter: Hospitals are big buildings. And someone has to bring patients to and from tests and procedures, and equipment from store rooms to hospital floors. Transporters do this. Typically, they sit in a room until dispatched to a floor, where they pick up a patient and transport them to a test or procedure, then wait to be dispatched to pick them up again.
On your application be sure to highlight your physical fitness and safety mindset.
Behavioral Health Tech: These are the CNAs of the psych world. Sometimes hospitals require a CNA, sometimes hospitals have their own in-house training for this position. Like CNA, this position also requires helping patients do basic self-care when they can't do it themselves. There is less poop, but not no poop. You may be doing anything from checking beds every 15 minutes to leading groups to just being a kind figure in someone's life when it is falling apart. You do have to be comfortable with psych stuff, particularly de-escalation.
On your application be sure to highlight your patience, safety mindset, and de-escalation skills.
Patient Access Representative (Call Center): These are the folks that answer the phone at a hospital, schedule appointments, and solve problems (or at least find someone who can). If you have ever worked a call center you know it's not an easy job, but if you like customer service and don't mind being on the phone all day, this is a good job for you.
On your application, be sure to highlight your problem solving skills, your typing skills, and your customer service skills.
Environmental Services (Housekeeping): Every day, a patient's room needs to be tidied. And every time a patient is discharged, their room needs to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to ready it for the next patient. In addition, common areas need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly to keep disease transmission at a minimum (hospital-acquired infections are not pretty). EVS does this. They may be assigned to a floor or dispatched from a central location. But if you've ever considered custodial work, this is a great place to start.
On your application, be sure to highlight your attention to detail and any cleaning/housekeeping you have done for someone else, formally or informally.
Dietary Aide (Hospital Food Service): So it *is* food service, but it's definitely a different kind of food service to fast food. Most hospitals these days have a "room service" type system where a patient calls down to the kitchen and orders each meal. You might be taking those orders, preparing trays, or delivering trays to the rooms.
On your application, be sure to highlight your attention to detail, your customer service skills, and your problem solving skills.
This is just a general one, but check out the hospital's web site instead of relying on indeed. Not all jobs are posted to indeed and the ones that are get a LOT of competition. I know it's tempting, but do NOT apply through indeed. Find the job and apply through the hospital's web site.
If there is a space for a cover letter, definitely include it. Even for jobs like housekeeping. Hospitals are professional work environments and they expect that you treat the hiring process the same as if you were applying to an office job.
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