Change is Inevitable

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change -” ― Heraclitus

Current headlines about the price of oil are alarming if you depend on oil to do more than fill up your car with gas. My family and friends in West Texas are quite concerned that this decline in price will affect their job security. Cars are becoming more energy efficient, we are driving less, tele-working more; I suspect that the demand for oil will decline further. We can continue to hope that the price will change and stabilize; or we can decide to prepare for a new path.

After Hurricane Katrina, many people left the region to explore greater opportunities. Some had to, some wanted to, some have returned and some have not. After another hurricane in 2008 (Gustav), the BP oil spill occurred and had devastating effects on many industries in and around the Gulf. But today, New Orleans is one of the most traveled cities for tourists, known as “Hollywood South” and has seen growth in new start-up businesses and internet technology ventures. New Orleans, and the people who have decided to make a living here, have changed an uncertain future in to a more stable, profitable one.

What does the upheaval of the oil industry and a disaster-prone geographical area have to do with a job search? Change. Every profession, career, and job has at some point experienced the effects of change over time. If I had taken drafting in college in 1983 as I first intended, I would have graduated about the time everyone shifted to Computer Aided Design (CAD). I surely could have adapted, but it was not something I would have planned for when I started on that career path. Similarly, careers in public relations, communications, recruiting, engineering, and just about any other profession require us to be open to change, willing to adapt to new methods, and driven to further our knowledge and skills to “keep up with the times.”

If you are a health care professional considering a change in your career, I strongly urge you to take a look a VA. VA is a great place to start and grow a career in health care. Here, you can certainly “keep up with the times” in terms of career opportunities, work-life balance, education and working with the latest technology. When you work at VA, you will have a comfortable salary, comprehensive benefits and great work/life balance, just like the private sector.

But, VA has something that no other health care system does: the opportunity to serve Veterans. You can be a part of the largest health care system in the U.S. in providing proactive, personalized, patient-driven health care for our Veterans. The career opportunities are endless, matched with the fulfillment that comes with caring for these brave men and women.

To learn more about a career at VA and the opportunity to serve our Veterans go to VAcareers.va.gov.