3 Ways to Boost Your Healthcare Career

by Premier Medical Staffing Services on January 18, 2016 in Career Development

 

Top 3 Resolutions To Improve Your Healthcare CareerHow long has it been since you graduated from college with your nursing degree? Is your healthcare career where you imaged it would be at this point in your life?

Once you join the workforce, it is easy to fall into a routine and get stuck in a rut. However, staying where you’re comfortable can result in missed opportunities (i.e. raises, promotions, valuable industry knowledge).

If you’re interested in giving your healthcare career the boost that it deserves, we highly encourage implementing the following three recommendations.

1. Network within Your Professional Community

Contrary to popular belief, networking isn’t just for job seekers. Networking is your chance to get plugged into your professional community and make connections while building mutually beneficial professional relationships. It allows you as a professional to make a genuine face-to-face connection in today’s world, an world of email, text and social media.

What else can you gain from networking events?

  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Build referral networks and business contacts
  • Gain knowledgeable resources
  • Learn about job opportunities even when you’re not searching for a job
  • Socialize outside of an office setting

Networking events can be found in any setting. Use resources such as social media and the internet to search for events you might be interested in like luncheons, guest speakers and round tables. On organizations’ websites, subscribe to free email alerts about upcoming events and early bird discount opportunities. Join professional clubs or volunteer groups. Remember your networking is simply something that will help you eventually advance within your career path.

2. Improve Your Healthcare Career Management Tools

Update your resume and make sure it is always up-to-date. You never know when someone will ask for it. It’s always good to have a copy of your resume readily available to send to a potential employer. A well prepared resume with all of the necessary information that anyone would need to know is important as well. Make sure you not only list all of your relevant experiences from most recent to last, but also list your responsibilities. Get specific. “Oncology Nurse” sounds much better and is much more informative, plus, let’s face it, “Staff Nurse” means a lot of different things depending on the facility.

Practice your elevator pitch. Elevator pitches should have a purpose and that purpose shouldn’t just be to tell people what you do, but why you do it. Instead of starting your pitch with “I’m a nurse,” start your pitch by stating what you like to do. For example, “As an active supporter of our military, both past, present and future, I serve as an RN at the VA hospital.” Next dive into a few more specifics. Be sure to highlight your skills and not your certifications.

Example: “My past experiences include ICU and Emergency, but I found my true calling working in Oncology after experiencing how much Oncology Nurses help patients and their families. I want to be able to be the support system that every oncology patient and family needs during long and taxing situations.”

Remember your pitch shouldn’t be longer that 20-30 seconds and it shouldn’t be a summary of your resume. It needs to really hook the listener.

3. Continue to Learn New Things

Learning new things on a professional level boosts your chances of being capable of making career changes or enhancements. Continued education makes you even more appealing to present and future employers. In the healthcare world, the need for higher level providers or specially trained caregivers is consistent and increasing all the time. Furthermore, the ability to continue learning makes you indispensable to your employer. Other benefits include your ability to adjust to change and take initiative within the workplace.

Obviously, as someone who works in the healthcare field, my examples have been partial to healthcare providers, but these examples can correlate to any profession. The most important thing you can do when trying to give your healthcare career a boost is to keep chipping away at it each and every day. You cannot give up on something because an obstacle gets in the way. Perseverance and confidence in yourself are just a few of the key attributes to success – now you just have to go out there and achieve it!

If you’re ready to make a change in your healthcare career, contact Premier Medical Staffing Services today.

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