5 Tips for Launching a Career in Digital Health

These days, digital health is one of the hottest industries as investment dollars flow to the budding sector and top technology companies look to "disrupt" healthcare. However, figuring out how to launch a career in this space can be daunting. And that's what this article is all about - to help you score a job at a promising digital health disruptor.

Career in Digital Health

1. Know what you want

If you're a developer, you should be able to relatively easy find a job at a digital health company. Simply put - there are not enough of them.

If you're not a coder, don't worry. There are many other positions digital health companies are filling as we speak. You may have to up your game by taking an extra course for some specific positions (i.e. Agile development for project managers) but it's well worth the effort.

So figure out the position you want to take and work toward that goal. (Related: Digital Health Jobs: Beyond Developers)

2. Learn about healthcare

Having a background in healthcare is NOT a prerequisite for many health tech jobs. However, knowing how the system works will give you an edge over others on the market.

Specifically, you'll want to learn about key players in healthcare, including:

  • Payers - insurers and plans
  • Providers - major health systems
  • Pharma - the Mercks and Pfizers of the world
  • Medical device companies
  • Government entities and programs they run - i.e. Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, etc.

You may also want to understand the basics of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as learn what Big Tech is doing in this space.

3. Understand the technology

This is where we (DHbriefs) kick in, providing our reports to both newbies and experts alike.

You don't have to be a coder in order to get a grasp of the basics. And our reports will definitely take you beyond the basic level, providing you with the knowledge and information that will make you shine at a (job) interview.

Remember that companies want to hire people that actually know something about their sector or industry. Otherwise, they will have to spend time educating employees about their business, the environment and more. That's costly and they would rather forgo that investment. And as a DHbriefs' customer, you'll be their ideal candidate. ;)

4. Keep learning

This is a fast-changing industry and you should stay on top of it. DHbriefs does its best to help you stay in the loop, but there are other resources out there as well.

Read as much as you can. You'll want to be a person your colleagues can turn to for the latest information and data. This will not only help you get hired but will also secure you as an indispensable employee.

5. Meet people from the industry

As we're writing this, the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging and you can hardly attend events in person. But you can join online groups and forums to virtually meet people that are already in the industry.

Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand something. You'll want to learn how this industry works from those that are already "inside." And in that sense, their insight could prove priceless for your career.

The bottom line

We missed the key parts that are essential for scoring any job - building a good resume, writing a good cover letter and practicing your interview skills. Those come as given. The idea is to take that extra step only a few will take that will make them stand out — and ultimately help them score a job at a promising digital health company.

And again, to help you out more, you'll want to check our free ebook Digital Health 101. Good luck. ;)