A Summer Career To-Do List

Summer is hopefully a time for you and your family to get away from work and business, but it is also a good time to review and shore up your career to-do list. This is also a great time of year to reconnect with former colleagues and friends in the industry. Use the summer to advance your network contacts, give a call to a former colleague or boss, send a note of congratulations to a friend who got a new job, or take time to go to lunch or socialize at local HIT gatherings. Your business network can be your key to your next information technology leadership position.

Summer can also mean time to reflect and write down some of your accomplishments for the year so far. We are in the third quarter of the year, so take time to describe key projects or events you have led by the end of June 2015. Before summer flies by, here are some professional development suggestions to bolster your career for the rest of the year.

2015 Projects Completed and Accomplishments to Date

Your healthcare IT accomplishments this year need to be digitized either by updating your resume or keeping a folder of key facts. What have you done so far this year? Some examples might be:

• Developed 5-year IT strategic plan for the health system and presented it to the Board
• Led the implementation and integration of an EMR system in multiple entities on time and under budget
• Partnered with a local health system to form a private Health Information Exchange
• Achieved HIMSS EMRAM Level 7
• Built a new data center and upgraded infrastructure and wireless capabilities
• Hired a Chief Analytics Officer and a Chief Information Security Officer

Not many people have done all or most of these things in half a calendar year, but you get the idea — document the many things you have done.

Networking

Whether you are happy in your job or looking for a new role, be sure to keep in contact with your former colleagues, bosses, or staff. They will be your business references and can speak to your leadership style, strengths, and contributions. Seek out new acquaintances, learn new areas of the IT business and attend local health IT events. Summer is a good time to stay in touch with these valuable people.

• Connect on LinkedIn with colleagues — strive for 500+ connections
• Use your Twitter account for business only and seek out followers
• Call or email former friends or colleagues in the industry
• Sign up for an industry webinar on a hot topic
• Get certified as a CHCIO or CPHIMS
• Get an advanced degree

So enjoy your summer, but keep your career moving forward. Be on the lookout to always upgrade and improve your reputation and build on your previous successes. Your contacts in the industry are valuable to you and your career. Meanwhile, your list of your key accomplishments will keep growing and changing, so take time to write them all down before summer ends.