[00:00:00] If you're looking to grow your business as a registered dietitian, you've come to the right place. If you're not sure what to do or what steps to take next so that you can create flexibility and freedom in your life, then you're going to learn a lot from tuning into our podcast here at Dietitian Boss.
[00:00:17] I'm Libby Rothschild, the founder of Dietitian Boss, a [00:00:20] fellow registered dietitian and business owner. And in our podcast, I share some The highs and the lows. And I talk all about how to grow your business, get it started. And I interview our clients to date. We've had over 200 interviews from clients who share their journey on our podcast, dietitian boss.
[00:00:37] In today's episode, I'm talking about [00:00:40] career options for registered dietitians in the year 2024, how you can find your purpose. So this is such an important topic and recently we wrote a blog post about this topic and I wanted to also have a longer conversation with you on the podcast. So exploring various career paths for dietitians [00:01:00] is really important because especially if you're a newer dietitian, you might not realize how many opportunities are out there.
[00:01:06] Or maybe you were told that you have to go into clinical or get a nine to five job versus getting started with your private practice sooner and you might feel discouraged. You might not even know how many opportunities there are in the field of dietetics. So I want to [00:01:20] explain how the field is evolving and what opportunities you might have, whether they be virtual or in different areas of specialty that you might have not realized.
[00:01:29] So the role of dietitians. Is expanding. We're not just seen as clinical dietitians or food service or even community. Our role can expand beyond corporate brand deals, media, [00:01:40] technology, so many other interdisciplinary aspects of dietetics that we can do, and we can even make our own opportunities. We can work part time per diem, full time, we can work virtually, or we can do a hybrid of both.
[00:01:52] We can work for another private practice or we can create our own. So the field has evolved and they're with. After [00:02:00] 2020 and the pandemic, we have so many, uh, so much more acceptance of virtual dietetics as well, like working virtually. And I think that there's research that shows that patients are more accepting as well.
[00:02:13] And that gives us opportunities to sell digital products, to create subscription services like a membership and to [00:02:20] run group coaching and even Uh, counseling sessions over the internet, where before that might have been too foreign, but now these concepts are more accepted by the public. So what does that mean for you?
[00:02:32] Well, firstly, I want to explain a few different areas in dietetics that you might not have been familiar with. And or maybe you do know, but you need a little bit [00:02:40] of refresher. And then I want to talk to you about opportunities with contractor or employee and thinking a little bit outside of the classic traditional, um, clinical box.
[00:02:51] So firstly, let's talk about traditional dietetic roles, which can be hospitals and clinics. And based on our stats from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, [00:03:00] most dietitians are still working in the clinical capacity. In fact, 60 percent of dietitians based on the income report, 60 percent of dietitians are still working in hospitals and clinics.
[00:03:09] So the responsibilities of a dietitian in a hospital and clinical setting can vary from inpatient to outpatient, and those roles can vary tremendously, especially if they're specialized like diabetes versus [00:03:20] just a general dietitian, but it's important to know that those jobs, if they're not specialized like, you know, diabetes educator, or if they're not something like burn unit.
[00:03:30] A general dietician, entry level dietician, the pay is, is not too great. So that's something to keep in mind. Outpatient care can have [00:03:40] perhaps different benefits that might be seeing people that are more willing to be educated, but you might also find that the stitches of change model is people are in the pre contemplation stage as well in outpatient care settings.
[00:03:52] So there's just things to think about in a traditional clinical role. Specialized areas that are growing. Could include [00:04:00] pediatric nutrition. So the role of a dietitian and pediatric nutrition includes helping children. And I can include infants, toddlers, school age, all the way up through teens and adolescent.
[00:04:09] And I have experience at working as a pediatric dietitian. I found that a very rewarding population. So you can specialize in a specific area of pediatrics or just general [00:04:20] people who are under the year of 18 or 20, depending on the definition of pediatrics with where you're employed or you can position yourself as an expert in your own private practice as a pediatric dietitian as well.
[00:04:30] Then on the other end of the spectrum, there's geriatric nutrition. So that's opportunities with geriatric nutrition. That means the elderly population. You can work on menu planning. You [00:04:40] could do consulting for geriatric facility, long term care, or you can just market to the geriatric population. There's also diabetes management, which is one of the fastest growing fields in dietetics.
[00:04:50] And then you can go on and get certifications in diabetes educator. And you can also, you know, take insurance or you can work cash pay a lot of different opportunities with [00:05:00] diabetes and kidney and other chronic disease as well as IBS, IBD, et cetera. So those are just a few examples of specialized areas.
[00:05:07] There's also sports nutrition, et cetera, but I want to move on and talk about public health, which you might already be familiar with public health programs like government agencies and non for profit agencies and organizations. [00:05:20] And then you can also work with nutrition education and advocacy. So that's Outreach and policy advocacy.
[00:05:26] So those might be areas that you're interested in that could be more corporate, they might be in the field, but those are opportunities to work more in a community level. And then finally there's food service. So you're probably familiar with clinical community and food service, food service, [00:05:40] being hospitals and schools, corporate wellness programs, and then private sector, such as consulting and culinary nutrition.
[00:05:47] And so there's lots of opportunities in these areas, which are probably Probably going to have to put on your entrepreneur hat because the jobs, as I've seen, are not as plentiful. The largest amount of jobs are going to probably be in clinical. And then there's research in [00:06:00] academia, which is one of the highest paid positions in dietetics.
[00:06:02] According to that survey from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Can include curriculum development, teaching and mentorship, maybe teaching at a college, clinical research, even public health research. And then there's private practice and entrepreneurship. So that means starting your private practice.
[00:06:17] So you're going to have to understand the business basics, [00:06:20] marketing and client acquisition. That means how to get clients and market your services and then entrepreneurial ventures. So that can include product development and online platforms that coaching and counseling. There's also technology and innovation.
[00:06:31] So that's digital health and telehealth. So explaining that means the role of telehealth services. So you can provide virtual consultations or work for another company [00:06:40] that does virtual consultations and you're working under them. You can also work with health apps and technology, which is a growing field as well.
[00:06:46] You can even do data analysis and nutrition, which can be really fun to collaborate with big tech companies. Maybe they're hiring you in a consulting basis, or you work for them full time, or you work with them in a partnership capacity. Corporate and industry roles can be really fun. [00:07:00] You can design and manage corporate wellness programs and you can work with employee health initiatives.
[00:07:06] And then, you know, helping companies productivity and health measures. And then there's also industry and product development, like food and beverage industry and pharmaceutical and supplement companies. if that is what you desire. Finally, there's international opportunities and [00:07:20] humanitarian work like global health nutrition, international organizations like WHO, and you can do humanitarian aid.
[00:07:26] Aid and provide nutrition support during humanitarian crisis. Cultural competence is a growing field. So adapting nutritional plans with cultural competencies and how we can adapt plans as dietitians for diverse [00:07:40] populations, also global nutrition education, so you can explore opportunities to educate and train nutrition professionals in developing countries, which is really rewarding.
[00:07:49] So finding your purpose and building a fulfilling career is going to take some self reflection. So that's where our library comes in hand. That's our monthly membership that you can join. And we have information that you [00:08:00] get access to immediately about different stages of business, as well as access to coaching from me and my team.
[00:08:05] So you can learn about your strengths and passions within dietetics and what might best fit you for your next steps in your next venture. You can also set some career goals. And so you can think about short and long term goals that help you identify your passion so you can feel really fulfilled.
[00:08:19] You're [00:08:20] also going to want to build a network and find mentors. So professional networking is important and you can find that inside of our membership called the library where you're building professional connections through using our platform, our forum, where you meet other dietitians. You can also find them online and at events from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
[00:08:37] Finding mentors is important so you can look [00:08:40] for preceptors. If you're a student, we take interns so you can reach out to us for opportunities for preceptorship. And you can find guidance from experienced professionals that you happen to meet in your community or through schooling, etc. Continuing education can also help you if you have some interest in an area.
[00:08:55] You can take continuing education credits in one of the areas that you might be interested in. Maybe that [00:09:00] is About advocacy or maybe you want to take continuing education credits towards something like IBS or IBD If you're interested in that area of specialty Maybe you run a private practice or you just want to brush up on your skills and you work in an outpatient setting So look at opportunities workshop certifications and conferences that can help advance your career and also count as continuing [00:09:20] education credits So I do want to mention in addition to these It's more conventional, but also expanded versions of what we can do as a dietitian.
[00:09:28] I want to talk to you about being a contractor or an employee. So when you decide in your entrepreneurial venture, if you want to run a business, you can be an employee, which means you work for [00:09:40] someone else and maybe you're working for um, a company. A business. There's a lot of virtual companies right now that hire dietician.
[00:09:46] So the dietician can see clients through insurance, but the dietician doesn't have to do any of the admin or billing. So that can be really attractive. Those companies are like Berry street and nourish faint nutrition. We would love to have someone who runs those [00:10:00] companies on our podcast to talk more about these opportunities.
[00:10:03] You can be an employee for one of these companies and you can be a involved with a business, but not necessarily have that be your own business, or you can become a contractor. And that means that you are working contract work. So that means, are you working for [00:10:20] someone else? Are you working for yourself?
[00:10:21] So as a contractor, let's say you were hired to come in and evaluate or analyze a menu, you would be working on a contractor. basis. So then you would have a contract in place, you would do work for a project, fulfill a need, let's say for menu analysis, get paid for that project, and then move on. So it's project based work if you're working as a [00:10:40] contractor, but you get an opportunity to learn, grow, get experience, and get feedback.
[00:10:44] And you can find these opportunities, there's a lot of them listed online. I did menu analysis while I was working as a full time pediatric dietitian. I did a ton of contracting work on the side. I did menu analysis, I also did sales. Speaking and teaching. And that helped me build my confidence and skills to then teach [00:11:00] dietitians later how they can also make money through non traditional ways in their business.
[00:11:05] So I want you to think about, do you want to work as a contractor or an employee or both? I also want you to think about the list I shared. What do you like to do? Are you interested in policy? Do you like education? Do you like one on one work? Do you like more group work? Are [00:11:20] you interested in blogs, videos?
[00:11:22] Would you be interested in online business? Or do you feel like you need to start with an in person local practice if you are going to go down the entrepreneurial path? I want you to think about your business model. Do you want to go virtual, in person or both? No wrong answer, but there's going to be, you're going to have to follow a process [00:11:40] for both.
[00:11:40] So if you're choosing a virtual model, then you're going to have to pick software that you use. If you're choosing in person, then you're going to want to choose where your office is located and your marketing practices will differ if you're choosing virtual or in person. I also want you to think long term.
[00:11:57] So what are you going to do long term in the next five to [00:12:00] 10 years? What's important to you? What are your goals for your family, for traveling, et cetera? And those decisions long term can help you decide what you want to pursue now as a career option to find purpose in your life. And that can change.
[00:12:12] Maybe you really want to explore pediatrics now and long term you end up with diabetes. Or maybe right now you do want to [00:12:20] stick with a employee role. You want to become an employee, but you want to build your business on the side. And then you want to grow that and become full time in your business, or at least part time in the next five to 10 years.
[00:12:31] So start thinking about your long term. Solutions and options, and then you want to test it. So you want to try a few things and see what works. And I suggest you listen to past [00:12:40] interviews that we have here at dietician boss from our clients. We've interviewed hundreds of them where they share their experience of finding purpose and their careers throughout the years.
[00:12:48] Through the pandemic before and after. And I want you to hear from your peers because that's going to help you reflect on what's interesting and important to you in the best way to really learn what's interesting, important, and fulfilling in your [00:13:00] life is to get started and test a few things. And we're here for you during that process.
[00:13:04] I encourage you to head over to dietitianboss. com. And join our membership called the library, our affordable month to month membership, where we guide you through coaching and give you access to our trademark framework, where you can go through modules, get access to resources to help you grow your business and get clear with how [00:13:20] you can find purpose as a dietitian through your online business.
[00:13:23] Thank you so much. We'll see you next time. Looking for support to grow your dietitian business or even get started. I invite you to join the library. Our monthly affordable membership that shows you exactly what to do every step of the way so that you can create the business of your dreams. [00:13:40] Not sure if it's the right time.
[00:13:42] The membership gives you an option to go at your own pace. We have modules, a road map to show you exactly what to do and monthly live calls as well as new content that we released. every single month based on requests. Inside of the library, we have four stages of business. So whether you come in getting started [00:14:00] or you want to enter the membership and grow or scale your business, we have the appropriate resources for you and our team, including myself available to answer your questions.
[00:14:09] Head on over to dietitianboss. com and check out the library today. We'd love to see you there.
