Dietitian Career Guide

Dietitians and dietetic technicians each require a unique set of skills tailored to their roles.

For Dietitians:

• Scientific Knowledge: A profound understanding of nutrition, food science, and biochemistry to assess, diagnose, and treat dietary and nutritional problems.
• Communication Skills: The ability to translate complex nutritional science into practical eating advice, making it accessible to clients and patients of diverse backgrounds.
• Empathy and Compassion: These personal qualities are essential for understanding patients' situations and providing supportive and motivational guidance.
• Teamwork: Dietitians must collaborate effectively with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive care.

For Dietetic Technicians:

• Technical Skills: Knowledge of food preparation and safety, understanding dietary needs, and the ability to apply nutrition plans under the guidance of a dietitian.
• Detail Orientation: Precise measurement and monitoring of food intake, nutritional care, and adherence to dietary protocols.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication abilities for interacting with patients, healthcare staff, and dietitians, including listening to patient needs and explaining dietary recommendations.
• Adaptability: The capacity to work in various settings and adapt to the changing needs of patients and the healthcare environment.

Both roles require dedication to continuous learning and professional development to stay abreast of the latest in nutrition science and healthcare practices. By fostering these skills, dietitians and dietetic technicians significantly contribute to the health and well-being of their patients, promoting healthier lifestyles and nutritional understanding.

Dietitians and dietetic technicians can choose from various work settings, hours, and locations. They are needed in all 50 states and cities large and small! Some dietitians can even work remotely from the comfort of their own homes. Some common dietitian work settings are:

• Hospitals
• Long-term care facilities
• Private medical practices
• Outpatient clinics
• Public health offices
• Educational facilities
• Food service environments, such as school cafeterias, prisons, nursing homes, and more.

Some dietitians even open up their own private dietary practices or consulting businesses. Dietitians and dietetic technicians tend to enjoy traditional working hours, but evening or weekend hours may be needed depending on your work settings.

People need the expertise and recommendations of a professional dietitian for a wide range of reasons. Here are some of the most common cases you will see as a dietitian:

• Weight management
• Food sensitivities and allergies
• Athletic and sports performance
• Vegan and vegetarian diet optimization
• Healthy eating guidance
• Children with sensory challenges or developmental disabilities
• Chronic disease management, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, and more.

The dietary counseling you do will vary drastically depending on the environment in which you choose to work. Outpatient dietitians and dietetic technicians tend to focus on a wide range of education and lifestyle modifications. In contrast, hospital dietitians and dietetic technicians provide nutritional therapy recommendations to premature infants and patients of all ages recovering from surgery, burns, trauma, or other critical or life-threatening conditions.

While it is not necessary to have a master’s degree to become a dietitian or advance within the field, many choose to obtain a master’s to broaden their options. Here are some options:

• Become a dietitian supervisor, manager, or director
• Mentor or train new dietitians
• Teach nutrition and dietary science at the university level
• Specialize in a specific area or population
• Open your own private practice

Dietitian technicians have plenty of opportunities for advancement, too! Many dietitians begin their careers and gain valuable work experience as technicians before continuing their education to become dietitians. Dietitian technicians can also train new technicians, become lead technicians, specialize in a specific area, and supervise other dietetic technicians.

To become a dietitian, you need either a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited program. After that, you must take and pass the national CDR exam to begin using the titles of RD or RDN. Additional state licensure may be required depending on where you wish to practice.

Dietetic technicians must complete an accredited NDTR program, which often includes an associate degree. Following that, you must take and pass the national NDTR exam to begin working as a dietetic technician.

For most dietitian and dietetic technician jobs, you must also achieve and maintain your Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification.

After obtaining their RD or RDN credential, dietitians can specialize further and become board-certified in a specific dietary and nutrition practice area. Here are some additional certification options available through the Commission on Dietetic Registration or CDR:

‍Board Certification in Advanced Practice‍

‍Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics

‍Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition‍‍

Board Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management‍

Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition

Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition

• Commission on Dietetic Registration
• Commission on Dietetic Registration- Technicians
• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
• American Nutrition Association
• Collegiate Professional Sports Dietitians Association