Five Ways to Jumpstart Your Career
Aug 15, 2009
Food For Thought





Five Ways to Jumpstart Your Career

Whether you have worked in the same healthcare job for years, or have just started this month, there are many ways to enhance your career path. Here are five great ways to step up your career:

1. Become a Member. Professional associations are a fantastic way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments specific to your field. Moreover, professional associations not only keep you informed, but they also provide great networking opportunities (which leads us to number 2).

2. Always Make an Effort to Network. Networking is one of the best ways to advance your career. By keeping in touch with colleagues, contacts, and other acquaintances, you can discover great opportunities. So, make an effort to stay in touch--whether it be a professional networking site or an after-hours work function--it can open up doors you never knew existed!

3. Examine Your Career Goals. If you have been working towards that Associates Degree in Medical Technology, or Masters of Science in Nursing, but cannot quite get to the finish line, (or across the starting line) why not set some smaller, more manageable goals or checkpoints to help to get you there? Or if you are not making any progress towards your goal, or it has become a major source of stress, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate whether or not this particular goal makes sense for you. Whatever your career aspirations may be, it is important to stay focused on the career direction that makes the most sense and take the appropriate steps.

4. Find a Mentor or Become One. If you are new to the healthcare industry, identify a successful healthcare professional, and get to know them. This could be a co-worker, or it could be someone who works elsewhere in the healthcare field. A mentor may help introduce you to valuable contacts, or assist you in understanding aspects of your job which are not explained in school or in books, such as the politics of your organization, and how to navigate the system.

If you are a tenured healthcare professional, mentoring may fulfill your needs too. Staying in touch with the younger generation of healthcare workers can help you to understand what motivates the emerging workforce, as well as new methodologies. Plus, the best way to truly learn is to teach someone else!

5. Engage in Continuous Education. Receiving and reading this newsletter is a sign that you’re already on the right track! Take it a step further by perusing medical journals or subscribing to medical magazines. Buy a book about your profession. Take advantage of all the free resources on the Web that allow you to participate in forums and online communities.

Bottom line: If you stay focused and committed to your healthcare career, success is sure to follow!

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love."
--David McCullough