By Debbie Bunch
November 2025
Amanda is like many Gen Z RTs. She enrolled in an associate’s degree program in RT right after high school and graduated two years later. She began working as an RT at a local community hospital shortly after earning her RRT credential and receiving her license to practice.
Amanda loves being an RT, but now it’s three years later, and she’s wondering what’s next. Will she continue serving as a bedside RT on the general floors for the rest of her career, or is there something else out there that might elevate her career to a new level?
She’d like to explore the latter option but has no idea how to do so or even which options she might be most interested in pursuing.
That’s where career counseling — sometimes known as career coaching — can come into play. These coaches can help you:
Explore the options available to you and help you consider all the factors that should be considered when choosing a new career path. For example, you may be tempted to say you want to move up into management because you know the salary will be higher, but will you really be happy sitting behind a desk for much of the day? A counselor or coach can help you work through all the facets of the decision.
Set meaningful goals and work to achieve them. This may entail anything from continuing your education beyond the associate’s degree level to enrolling in continuing education courses specific to the area you’d like to specialize in. For example, if management is your ultimate goal, enrolling in an RRT-to-BSRT program would be advisable, since many managerial positions, particularly those at the department director or above level, will require at least a bachelor’s degree. But if you decide that what you’d really like to do is move into pulmonary rehabilitation, taking a course like the AARC’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Certificate Course may be all you need to get your foot in the door.
Help you write a resume and cover letter that potential employers will notice. With so many employers using AI-driven systems as the point of entry into the resume review process, it is essential to write a resume and cover letter that will check all the AI boxes. Only resumes and cover letters that pass that test reach the eyes of an actual hiring manager. Career coaches understand the process and can help ensure your resume cuts.
Guide you through the job search. Looking for a new job — and especially a new job that may not completely match your current level of expertise — can be daunting. Counselors and coaches can streamline the process by helping you fine-tune your search on the most likely prospects.
Help you prepare for interviews. Career counselors and coaches know what hiring managers are looking for in a potential employee, and they can go over the process with you to make sure you know what to expect and even conduct practice interviews with you to help you become more comfortable with the questions you will likely be asked.
Career counseling isn’t for everyone, but if you find yourself mired in indecision like Amanda, it might be an option worth considering.
Where can you find a career coach who can help you with your RT career? You can search LinkedIn or other sites for career coaches specializing in health care or seek out a mentor in respiratory care who can serve as an informal career coach via the AARC’s member-only online community, AARConnect.
You could even take a self-help approach by doing a deep dive on the AARC’s Your RT Career web page. You’ll find a wealth of information aimed at helping you make career decisions and navigate the job search process.
