We already know that healthcare and information technology are two of the biggest industries for jobs, particularly contract positions. So what do you get when you combine those two industries together? A hot new recruiting niche that is boosting job orders for recruiters working both perm and contract placements.

A study by the University of San Diego Extension showed that Healthcare Information Technology is the hottest career for this year's college graduates, according to Healthcare IT News. The study also showed that job prospects in this field are good and expected to continue growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics had predicted that jobs in the field would grow 20 percent between 2008 and 2018.

According to Healthcare IT News, this surge is due to government initiatives that have moved the healthcare industry toward adopting advanced technology to manage and use their data, creating a demand for titles such as:

• Healthcare integration engineer
• Healthcare systems analyst
• Clinical IT consultant
• Technology support specialist

Healthcare IT was also a hot topic during last month's Top Echelon Network National Convention.  Recruiters are finding that this field is where the job orders are at, both in perm and contract placement.  In fact, this is such a growing field that some recruiters are even switching niches to concentrate on these types of placements!

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.