Career Advancement Opportunities for Phlebotomists

The healthcare field is one of the few areas where employment opportunities are rapidly expanding.  As the population in the U.S. ages, the need for qualified phlebotomists and other medical personnel is on the rise.  If you are considering becoming a phlebotomist, or if you are already a phlebotomist, you may be trying to decide where this career path could lead you in the future.

Phlebotomy careers offer a variety of working environments.  Some phlebotomists choose to work in a hospital.  The demand for blood tests is usually high in a hospital setting and will often require you to move around the hospital to various locations while collecting specimens. If you choose to work in a hospital setting, you may also be required to give injections or perform other tasks that help lighten the load for nurses and other team members.  You may work days, nights, weekends, and holidays if you decide to take employment at a hospital.

Other phlebotomists prefer to work in a private doctor’s office.  This usually gives the phlebotomist the chance to work a more traditional daytime schedule and enjoy holidays and weekends off.  Private donation centers also offer these types of working conditions.

You might enjoy a phlebotomist position that gives you the opportunity to travel a bit, such as with a mobile unit that visits various locations collecting blood donations or you may choose to move between different hospitals or clinics where your services are needed. 

As a phlebotomist, you already have a foundation in areas such as anatomy, physiology, safety procedures, and other medical topics.  This knowledge will help qualify you for other positions and may spark your interest in broadening your training and career opportunities. 

Many phlebotomists choose to get additional training to learn to insert IV’s into patients or to draw blood from different parts of the body.  Each additional skill you learn should allow you to earn a higher salary.

Other phlebotomists choose to continue their training in other medical fields.  Becoming a physician’s assistant is often a popular choice.  Once you become certified as a medical assistant as well as a phlebotomist your job opportunities will expand.

Of course, if your interest in more advanced healthcare is ignited, you could opt to gain more education and become a radiologist, a nurse, or some other type of medical professional.

There are also opportunities available for phlebotomists in fields such as marketing.  You may be interested in become a sales rep for a company that manufactures lab equipment or medical supplies. 

Choosing to become a phlebotomist is often just the first step in establishing a bright, rewarding career in the medical field.  Some people choose to use phlebotomy as a stepping stone to other opportunities and others choose to make phlebotomy their lifetime career.  Whichever road you choose to follow, phlebotomy is a career that holds great promise for your future.