Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Administrative Coordinators
Jon suggests that many entry-level positions in healthcare, like "cashier, receptionist, unit assistant, [or] environmental services," are accessible with minimal experience, such as six months of customer service, emphasizing that starting with an on-call position is often the easiest way to get a foot in the door and unlock benefits, ultimately allowing for career advancement by leveraging experience gained in each role and moving up every three years. Jon's career trajectory reflects this advice as Jon moved up from an ED clerk position by leveraging experience in three different positions within eight to nine years, demonstrating the value of starting at entry-level and building skills for advancement.
Entry-Level Positions, Healthcare, Career Advancement, Customer Service, On-Call Opportunities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jon Zapanta
Administrative Coordinator
Healthcare Provider
Los Medanos Community College
Los Medanos Community College - AA Mathematics and Science
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Medical
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Entry-level positions include cashier, receptionist, unit assistant, and EVS (environmental services), often requiring customer service experience rather than direct hospital experience.
2. Starting in an entry-level role, such as an ED clerk, can provide opportunities for advancement within the healthcare organization, with a strategy of moving up every three years to gain more experience and responsibility.
3. On-call positions are often the easiest way to get a foot in the door, offering benefits like medical coverage and the potential to become benefited with a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate or graduate student might consider?
There's actually a lot that people don't realize. For instance, if you have experience as a cashier or receptionist, you could always be a receptionist. For the most part, you don't need hospital experience, but perhaps some type of customer service.
You could be working at a restaurant for six months, which is what they're looking for. If you can get some experience that way, you can jump right in to be a cashier receptionist. You could also be a unit assistant. Unit assistants help physicians and nurses get things organized within a unit.
You could even start off in EVS, environmental services. They do a lot of deep cleanings, but there are many positions where you can start at an entry level and build yourself up. When I started as an ED clerk, that was an entry-level position. My goal within Kaiser was always to move up within three years.
Every three years, I wanted to ensure I was in a better position. The longer you are in an entry-level position, the more experience you can add to another role you're doing. That's what I did within my eight to nine years, moving up through three different positions.
In my opinion, that's the best way to move up: get your foot in the door first. To be honest, being on call is usually the easiest place to start as an entry-level position. After that, you can always become benefited. The minimum is 20 hours.
There are many benefits to working in a hospital. They'll pay for your medical, so you don't have to worry about having medical insurance. There are different ambiances when it comes to working in the medical field.