All You Wanted to Know About the Career as a Nutritionist
Uttara Manohar
A nutritionist career is a fulfilling one where you can play the role of a health expert who oversees one's dietary needs. Let us find out about the requirements of such a demanding job.
A nutritionist career entails that one takes care of other's meals by drawing up a chart of good and bad foods, complete with portion control and time slots.
They work in daycare centers, hospitals, clinics, fitness centers, schools, and even nursing homes.
It is important to have a nutritionist's advice for patients and others about what would work best for their diet during the time of recovery that calls for intervention from these professionals. It is essential for the nutritionists to be at par with the knowledge about the health benefits and ill effects of food whether it is a disease or a deficiency.
Some nutritionists have their very own set-ups where they can be contacted and interacted with using a one-way information route, rather than through an organization or health center. They also qualify as speakers when it comes to seminars arranged on health awareness and the dangers of certain foods and habits as part of one's lifestyle.
Even sporting facilities need nutritionists to care for an athlete's diet, where it is crucial to know which foods boost metabolism and harbor the right nutrients and elements for development and endurance.
To become a reliable, trusted, and certified nutritionist you would have to first secure a degree in the field of either dietetics, nutritional science, orfood service system management.
Qualifications
A post graduation diploma coupled with science A levels and an experience in nutrition-related patient interactions could fetch you some extra points in the field of nutrition.
It is wise to have knowledge about two important areas of nutrition, namelyhuman physiology and biochemistry. Courses of importance also include biology, institution management, sociology, microbiology, and economics to name a few.
You would have to be certain about the requirements as per the state you reside in, where some insist on a licensure, registration, and certification.
When it comes to being certifiable; some states need to compare one's qualifications of a nutritionist with that of a dietitian since training for both the fields is completely different. Be keen to understand the rules of the state you want to work in where the word 'dietitian' is used and is evaluated based on that tag name's qualifications.
Make sure you complete the required courses and are aware of all the rules by which the state you want towork in abides by. The opportunity to branch out to respectable titles like 'director' and 'associate' is evident, where even self-employment is an option for those who prefer flying solo in their career.
The salary of a nutritionist can differ from one state to the next and of course depends on how much highly qualified he/she is.
Salary
According to Payscale, the average salary, as of June, 2018, is about $42,633 annually. The highest salary that a nutritionist could draw, touches almost a cool $72,000 per year.
The job of a nutritionist is not as demanding as a lot of jobs can be, with extremely flexible options once you have a good grip on the reins of this profession. With ample research and a clear understanding of the nitty-gritty details of being a nutritionist, you'll be on the right path to achieving that position.