The top five sectors hiring have been indicated to be information and communications, healthcare, professional services, finance and insurance, and manufacturing. Amongst these, healthcare is particularly robust, with both short- and long-term positions available. These range from “traditional” roles like doctors and nurses to allied health professionals, medical technicians and more.
Some figures include:
- $44b expected expenditure by 2030
- 1:4 Doctor : Population ratio
- The healthcare sector placed the highest number of job seekers into short-term jobs, at 750
- More than 50 manufacturing facilities in the country, with eight of the world’s ten largest pharmaceutical firms owning plants in Singapore.
- Some of the major players include Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Pfizer
- 60% of the world’s microarrays and one third of the world’s thermal cyclers and mass spectrometers (key MedTech equipments) are manufactured in Singapore
Hiring in healthcare
Covid-19 has revolutionised this already-robust industry, as technological innovations and funding support have boosted it substantially. Jobs in have moved beyond doctor and nurse to include allied health professionals, and managerial and administrative staff, such as centre managers and operations and administrative executives. The healthcare sector is assured of continued relevance to cope with our aging population, chronic diseases and new disease patterns.
Thus, there are many job opportunities in this sector in both the short- and long-term.
What jobs are available in healthcare?
Our world-class healthcare system is constantly in need of new talent and support. Embrace this field and look out for opportunities beyond the traditional, as medical firms and hospitals embrace big data, medtech and allied health professions.
Jobs include:
- Diploma in Nursing
- No experience needed
- $2,000-$3,500/month
- Staff nurses are generally employed on a full-time basis at hospitals or care facilities. They are the most immediate point of patient care, and administer medications and carry out assessments as needed. They must also keep notes regarding patients’ care and development, and may create discharge plans for individual patients. Career advancement opportunities for staff nurses include the Nurse Clinician, Nurse Manager and Nurse Educator paths.
- Bachelor Degree in Speech Pathology or Master degree in Speech Pathology (entry level)
- 2-3 years experience
- $4,000-$6,000/mth
- Speech Therapists are also known as Speech Pathologists and Speech-Language Therapists. They assess and assist patients with communication problems arising from speech and languages issues. Through their interventions, patients can gain or regain the ability to communicate at their best and interact with the world around them. Speech Therapists also assess and manage people of all ages with swallowing problems to enable them to eat and/or drink safely.
- Diploma in Optometry
- 1-2 years experience
- $3,000-$4,000/mth
- The optometrist provides primary eye care services such as visual examinations and prescription of optical appliances to correct vision problems. Optometrists also diagnose vision problems and common eye diseases. In general, they are qualified to perform any other type of practice of eye care which is part of the practice of opticianry, the most common procedures being dispensing and fitting glasses and contact lenses.
- Graduate Diploma or Degree in Social Work
- 1-2 years experience
- $3,000-$4,000/mth
- The Medical Social Worker (MSW) provides interventions to support patients and their families during the recovery process to enable them to adjust or heal from acute or chronic medical conditions. Their role is to help patients and families manage the life crises caused by medical conditions such as lifelong illness or amputation, and bolster their physical and mental strength to face these challenge. Additionally, they may help reduce the burden of patients and their families from incurred social and healthcare costs.
What qualifications are needed for a career in this sector?
Most jobs in healthcare require an associated degree or diploma at the very least. The field branches off into various specialisations such as podiatry, therapy, optometry or radiography. There is really no such thing as a “catch-all” healthcare qualification.
Experience-wise, postings also tended to look for relevant experience in their sectors. However, many postings were open to fresh graduates or those with basic qualifications, and some expressed a willingness to train new hires.
What career opportunities are there in the sector?
The healthcare sector has always been a viable and developing sector with great growth potential. Though it emphasised short-term jobs during the pandemic, as the sector prepares for the future, more positions are opening up in new areas. These include big data, medical technology and more efficient healthcare delivery systems.
Apply for a career in healthcare now!