If you are ready to begin your career in senior care or are a veteran in the field looking to switch up your role with residents, it’s wise to investigate your dream job before you begin brushing up your resume. Senior living communities are interesting places to work because the industry’s workforce is a combination of healthcare and hospitality roles. If you aren’t quite sure what qualifications are required to work in senior care, here is a quick rundown of common roles and their expected qualifications.

You’ve been working your way up through the senior care industry, increasing your responsibilities and learning much along the way. Now, you’re ready to step into a more formal senior care leadership role. This is an exciting time! You can use the knowledge you gained working directly with residents and supervising a small team to guide you through the bigger decisions you will make in your new position.

The senior care industry is full of more exciting opportunities than ever as the field continues to reinvent itself to meet the needs of older adults. This is excellent news for individuals who are looking to start a career in or move up the career ladder of senior living communities. 

When applying for a senior living position, it is important to have a strong cover letter that accompanies your resume. Whether you’re applying via email, LinkedIn or an online search engine, a cover letter goes a long way toward introducing your skills and showcasing your personality. Unfortunately, many senior care professionals don’t put the necessary amount of time into their cover letter, which can result in fewer interviews in the long run.

Working in senior living means caring for residents on a daily basis. No matter what role you may have in a community, the end result should always be the safety and overall health of the seniors who live there. Senior living professionals work diligently to serve seniors by preparing medications, cooking nutritious meals, offering a helping hand with daily hygiene tasks, and leading exercise programs. However, taking care of resident safety and wellness also means protecting residents in case of emergency.

You submitted your resume and received a call back. Congratulations! You’re now ready to start the next phase of your quest to find your next job. In order to work your dream job, however, you have to make it through the interview process. An interview is an excellent way to showcase your skills and passion for serving seniors, as well as a way to get to know your potential new employer.

Whether you are experienced in senior care and searching for your next move or are just starting out toward your senior living employment hopes, you need to know where to look for senior care career opportunities available near you. As with most inquiries in today’s age of technology, the answer often lies in a good internet search. However, you don’t want to be inundated with search results that do not speak to your goals or experience. We’ve put together what you need to know about searching for — and then finding — your next senior living job.

Team members are the heart of any senior living community. After all, it is the staff who are working long hours, taking the time to create meaningful relationships with residents, and contributing to a culture that puts seniors first. However, not all staff members are going to give their very best every single day during every single interaction. Bad days and other circumstances can make even the best staff members feel less than motivated sometimes.

Senior living executives wear many hats. They often work directly with residents, becoming friends, confidantes, and advocates. They must also lead a team that may be comprised of people with diverse interests, skills, and personalities. In that role, they must coach and encourage the people whom they hire, fire, and discipline. This can feel like an impossible balancing act, but it offers immense rewards. Senior living executives shape the future of senior living, setting policies that can make a remarkable difference in the lives of seniors, their families, and community staff.

People considering careers in senior living are committed, thoughtful people from all walks of life and with a wide range of educational backgrounds. Many are eager to learn what a typical day looks like. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a typical day. In fact, that’s what makes assisted living careers so rewarding. There’s always a new question to answer, a new person to help, a new skill to learn.