It is an exciting time to be a healthcare IT professional. The job market is booming, and companies are hungry for talent. Opportunities are plentiful and salaries are on the rise. If you want to leverage your experience and get ahead in in Healthcare IT, however, you still need to be proactive. Use these three tips to make a big impression.
Become a Master Communicator
There was a time when IT professionals could get away with less-than-stellar interpersonal communication skills, but those days are long gone. Healthcare IT teams, no matter what their function, have to interact with – and therefore communicate well with – people outside their group. Whether they are vendors, end-users, other departments or other members of the IT staff, today’s successful healthcare IT pros are able to express themselves clearly and succinctly, both verbally and in writing.
The most effective communicators understand that listening is the key to all interactions with other people. Listening isn’t just about silence, however, it’s about gathering relevant information. Always repeat what someone says to you to clarify what you heard, and to ask a follow-up question. They say things like, “I hear you saying that you are having X problem with your Y system. Can you tell me more about that?” This verifies that you are listening, and shows you are truly interested in learning more so that you can answer as effectively as possible.
Develop Creative Problem Solving Skills
Healthcare IT is fast-paced, high-pressure and requires a lot of creative thinking. You won’t always have the luxury of extra time or budget dollars to help you through a tough situation. Thinking outside the proverbial box is absolutely necessary if you want to grow your career, no matter how “technical” the job title.
Creative thinking is really about problem solving. Can you use the resources you have in front of you at this moment to overcome the obstacle? They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Similarly, pressure is often the mother of innovation in healthcare IT. If you want to get ahead, work on developing top-notch creative problem-solving skills.
Build Professional Connections
Growing your career and getting ahead is rarely a matter of luck. You must grow your skills and knowledge over time, of course, but you also must grow your network. When you make industry connections, you are more apt to hear about upcoming opportunities because you will be top-of-mind. As you spend time adding to your knowledge base, don’t forget to add to your network. Get involved in professional organizations, attend local networking events, and spend a little time each week on LinkedIn groups. Networking isn’t easy, but over time it becomes less of a hassle and much more natural.
If you are a talented healthcare IT professional in Buffalo, NY looking to grow your career and get ahead, you can expand your network and connect with your ideal opportunity by working with an expert recruiter in your niche. The experienced recruiters at Systems Personnel can help you take the next step in your career. We connect the best and brightest talent with the region’s most forward-thinking organizations. Contact us today to learn more about our commitment to your success.
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