HRMC CareerLaunch

As economic growth remains at a standstill for most industries, job seekers are increasingly pursuing industries that have stabilized, or those that appear to offer greater employment security.  The healthcare industry has experienced the greatest increase in employment, and, according to newly released employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it will add the most jobs through 2012.

Although the majority of positions within the healthcare sector are, in fact, clinical positions, I’m not suggesting you enroll in medical or nursing school to pursue a clinical career!  There are many non-clinical, management, and administrative support roles, such as in finance, marketing, human resources, and IT, among others. 

One of the biggest challenges in breaking into healthcare is a lack of direct industry experience.  By incorporating some advanced research and applying a strategy of networking, you will significantly improve your potential for getting noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, even though they may prefer candidates with industry experience.

Assess Your Transferable Skills

Take a step back and review your work history, experiences, technical skills, and professional core competencies.  To determine which are transferable and valuable to the healthcare industry, review and study the job descriptions (relative to your discipline—finance, HR, marketing, etc.) that are posted online.

1. Use a job lead aggregator, such as www.indeed.com, to review many job posting sites at the same time.

2. Start with your typical search for jobs based on your discipline and level, then search nationwide to broaden your research results.  Require specific industry-identifying words in the description, such as HEALTHCARE, “HEALTH CARE,” or HOSPITAL.

3. Copy the content of 10 to 15 “best match” job descriptions into a Word document.  Carefully review the content and identify the requirements that “mirror” your experience and skills.  Document those that are most common among all the postings.  These are your core transferable skills.

4. Finally, determine how to articulate these transferable skills to healthcare recruiters and hiring managers.

Industry Research

Become familiar with the “biggest players” in the local healthcare community (independent hospitals, healthcare systems, managed care, medical schools, residential care, etc.).  Use tools like www.indeed.com and www.simplyhired.com to determine those with the most employment activity.  Cross-reference what you find with LinkedIn to determine who you may know within these organizations to provide further insight and assist you in your new career goal.

People Research

Using similar search keywords as those above, use LinkedIn to find people currently employed within healthcare related to your area of expertise (finance, HR, etc.).  Furthermore, if you connect with people who have recently (1-3 years) transitioned their career into healthcare, you will gain an insider’s viewpoint of the challenges and learning curves when navigating this new environment.

By incorporating this process, you will discover ways to minimize the perceived gap of your experience relative to the healthcare community.  This process will naturally improve your visibility within influential circles of professionals and executives in the industry.  And, as I’ve told my clients for over two decades:  It’s NOT who you know…it’s who knows YOU!

Last week I had the pleasure of celebrating with two of HRMC’s outplacement clients who recently landed new positions within hours of each other!  As is our tradition, they joined fellow job search colleagues and the HRMC team in our lobby to formally toast their success.  As they shared their stories, I was reminded of the importance of the relationships that are established within our office, and how each of these individuals encouraged, challenged, and supported one another through the job search process.

Upon starting their journey with HRMC, our clients are encouraged to participate in our weekly networking and strategy session, which is where these two first met.  One was a product of a large downsizing following an acquisition of his firm; the other was a victim of an isolated restructuring move.  While each were unique, relative to their work experience, tenure, relocation potential, and career paths, each shared a personal drive and relentless effort of incorporating our career transition process into their search.  Both recognized the value of group support, and frequently shared their enthusiasm for the process with other job search colleagues.

As these two new friends started aggressive pursuits of their respective ideal opportunities, they stepped up their discipline in preparing for each level of their prospective employers’ employment processes.  Applying the personal coaching provided to each of them, they independently began motivating one another and even role-playing alternative approaches to interviews and questions.   These two clients who started the job search process sharing personal drive and relentless effort now have many more things in common:  a successful job search experience, a connection on LinkedIn, and, most importantly, many new friendships and ongoing relationships developed within the walls of HRMC.

Their success is an incredible inspiration for us all, and is evidenced by the large glass container of corks in our lobby, each one signed and dated by our alumni who have celebrated their job search success with us.  Having been in this business for over 25 years, I know these friendships extend well beyond the job search and, in most cases, last a lifetime.

So don’t go it alone in your job search. Consider the following:

Support Groups – Essential to a successful job search is positive motivation and feedback, achieved within formal groups or through “handpicked” colleagues, friends, and family.  Attend local support groups (in St. Louis, these include GO! Network, ExecuNet, BBJ, ExecLink-STL, among many others) and maintain your activity with those groups that fit your needs.  Note:  Before applying any newly-learned job search techniques or approaches, assess whether or not the advice is correct or suitable for you and your search!

Invest in Yourself – Regardless of when you last faced a job search, the game has changed significantly, so consider your ROI by learning and incorporating expert advice into your job search.  When considering career transition firms for help, these resources should be available and reviewed carefully:

• Multiple Consultants - Access to several consultants with diverse backgrounds offers widespread perspectives.
• In-depth Technology Training - Get the most out of online resources like Google, LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.
• Extended Networking - Introductions to career transition client alumni, LinkedIn contacts, industry leaders, etc.
• Group Meetings - Regular strategy and networking sessions are critical, but must be facilitated by an expert.
• Passion for Success – Speak with past and/or existing clients and assess the firms passion for your success.