A Career As A Nutritionist

Going back to school for me is very challenging. However I have to successfully complete the task that I have delegated to myself. I’m currently taking on-line classes at Kaplan University. I’m pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Nutrition. A nutritionist is an expert in the field of food and nutrition. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health related goal. Often times the terms nutritionist and dietician is used interchangeably. Nutritionist work in many settings such as hospitals, cafeterias, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation facilities, consultants, etc. Depending on which specialty area a person chooses to work in they will interact with one or many clients/patients.
One of the most important traits to have in my opinion is compassion. I say this because you must have sincerity and understanding to an individual’s needs. Your passion to help clients has to almost be greater than the client’s will to change their nutritional activities for the better. Organizational skills are highly important because nutritionist work with clients who have diverse needs, so this is an important quality. For instance when working in a school or company cafeteria the professional must keep track of both the nutritional needs of the clients and the cost of the meals. Practitioners must keep careful records, stay on top of administrative tasks and manage their time. People skills are another highly important skill to have because you must enjoy working with diverse people. You must be a good listener who pays attention to client’s goals and concerns. This means allowing the person to finish their point without interrupting and asking useful follow-up questions. It is more than necessary to build productive rapport and trust with the client/patient. Not only must a nutritionist be a people person, but also have excellent communication skills. You must be able to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and speaking. Nutritionist work with scientific information and they must be able to turn complicated details into language clients can understand. Because each potential client will have different needs and varied abilities to understand info, nutritionist must be able to tailor their message to specific audiences. The reasoning skills that is required for this profession is needed to keep up with the science of food as it relates to health. Another skill is being analytical because this is the key quality for any nutritionist. Advising clients on nutrition involves working with ideas and looking for facts. They are problem solvers because they apply their nutritional