Fearing a professional rut?

By Paul Dow, BS, RT(R)(CT)

These days many people are planning their career paths out of fear. It is almost unavoidable with the constant reporting of economic upheaval and uncertainty. With that fear, people are looking for job security and healthcare is proving to be an attractive field for people who have been forced out of other professions. What does an influx of technologists mean for people who have been lifelong healthcare providers? First, it means that competition for positions will be more intense than ever. For each open position, there can be as many as 100 or more applicants. Second, it means that you will need to challenge yourself, personally and professionally, to keep up with the changing employment market. The real question is this: How can you make yourself more desirable to employers, while staying true to your goals and  professional aspirations?

Unfortunately, there is no one solution for these problems. However, there are somethings that you can do to improve your situation. Education, from almost any source, might prove to be a partial solution, if used thoughtfully. Before you you do anything else, honestly assess you clinical skill set. Are there any weaknesses? What could you improve upon? Your manager can help you with this question, even if it is not your annual review time. You could also get clues from them about what their needs are. The quickest way to a manager’s good side is to provide a solution to one of their ongoing problems.

Cross training in every modality will certainly make it easier for you to fit into a schedule for a manager, but will it bring you long term professional satisfaction? Instead consider adding a broad range of skills such as public speaking (search the web for your local Toastmaster’s Organization) which can help when presenting to any hospital committee or professional organization. Maybe there are opportunities to work with a physician on a research project or the publication of a paper. Volunteering for medical charities can also provide opportunities that can enrich society as well as developing skill sets.

The trick is finding the right vehicle to take you down the professional path you prefer to follow. This doesn’t mean that you should sign up for every registry review that comes to the local airport convention center but instead it asks you to look at your goals and honestly assess what opportunities exist for professional development. This hopefully will lead to more job security, and professional satisfaction as a side effect.

Read more about the author, clinical informatics educator, Paul Dow, BS, RT(R)(CT)

Check out a related post on our blog with career information for technologists: Career advice for technologists in a shrinking job market