Whether you work for a local hospital, an OEM or a third-party service provider you need to participate in that organization. You must show leadership qualities. A great way to do that is to participate not only in the day-to-day job duties but also in extra activities that may be going on in your organization. Being involved in organizational activities such as a fundraiser for a local charity or any other type of community involvement can be most beneficial to career advancement. Most organizations have several opportunities for employees to be involved in extracurricular activities. Not only are you putting your efforts into a worthwhile cause, but also you are creating a bigger network of people who you can learn and grow from. Often, new employees will not get a chance to show their complete skill set while performing their entry-level job duties. Sometimes it can take years to have the opportunity to show your employer you have the skills needed to advance. Volunteering to participate in these opportunities allows you to show and sharpen the skills you have which can be utilized by the organization, and by you to advance your career. Stay in tune to what is happening in your organization and find something you are interested in that you can participate in to advance your career and possibly help a worthy cause.
Another great way to advance your career is to participate in a HTM organization. If you do not have an organization close to you, maybe you should think about starting one. Personally, I have been very fortunate to be involved with the North Carolina Biomedical Association. This organization has been very active over the years. I have enjoyed participating and learning from many other professionals in the career field. Again, participating in an organization such as the NCBA will allow you to expand your network of contacts in the career field. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with many different people over the years such as Glenn Scales, Pat Lynch, Binseng Wang, Greg Johnson, Boyd Campbell and many others. Each of these industry leaders has taught me something that is useful in my career. By participating in such an organization, you can hone different skills that are useful to advance your career. Several skills that come to mind that I have honed over the years with my participation would be financial matters by being the treasurer in the organization. Sharpening my communication skills by writing for the newsletter and other leadership skills such as team building by serving as vice president or president. All the skills needed to advance the organization you participate with is considered a transferable skills. The skills it takes to advance a volunteer organization are often the same skills it takes to advance the organization where you are employed. All organizations are looking for future leaders and volunteer organizations may give you the opportunity to sharpen your leadership skills before your employer might. So, this is always a great way to advance your career and prepare for the future.
A third way that may help you advance your career is to become certified. Whether you seek CBET, CRES, CLES, CHTM or any other credential shows a willingness to further your knowledge of the career field. Becoming certified does not necessarily make you the very best technician, but it does show your willingness to learn more and a desire to advance within your career. Often people will tell me there is no incentive to become certified. To that statement, I always tell them they are correct if they want to stay in the same job for the rest of their career. Many employers do not give incentives for different credentials such as CBET certification. However, many organizations do either give incentives to become certified or prefer employees who are certified because that certification tells the organization that you have a solid foundation and working knowledge of the career field. I advise people all the time that if they are happy with the job they have and want to stay in that job their entire career, certification is not necessary. However, if you think you may want to advance, even if your current employer gives no incentive for certification, the next advancement in your career may require certification.
So, to recap, remember to participate. Participate in a professional organization to grow your skills and your network. Participate in career organizations as well. This also allows you to acquire new skills and expand your network of resources to advance your career. Become certified in a specialty such as CBET, etc. as this shows your willingness to further your education and your commitment to your career field.
